


The Long and the Short of It

by DoveFanworks



Series: Borrower!Prom [9]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Borrower!AU, Gen, borrower!Prom, this sure took a while
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:28:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28801335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoveFanworks/pseuds/DoveFanworks
Summary: Surprisingly, he found he wasn’t that anxious about seeing Noct again, probably soon if Ignis’ estimates on how long his current meeting thing would go for were correct. Perhaps it was just the encompassing relief of not being too sick and miserable to move, or, floating in the back of his mind, the thought that he was even alive at all.He still shuddered at how bad things had been there for a bit, if Ignis was to be believed, and he hadn’t even known it. That’s how bad it had been.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum, Prompto Argentum & Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum
Series: Borrower!Prom [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1413532
Comments: 44
Kudos: 116
Collections: FFXV Pocket Edition





	The Long and the Short of It

**Author's Note:**

> So uuuuuhhh, that sure was a hell of a year huh?  
> I'll keep this short, since if you're reading this then you've got one hell of a word count ahead of you:^)   
> We finally made it lads, the final part of this series;0; Thank you so so much for sticking with me and this series til now, and I really hope that this final part will be worth the long wait!  
> Full disclosure I don't really know how I feel about this last part, whether it feels 'complete' to me, and I do have some ideas tossing around for a sort of 'second chapter' to this that would cover a little further (and hopefully would not be as long as this one) but I'm not sure if I'll focus on it right away. I'm in something of a hiatus right now so I'm not sure what I will be working on next nor when I will be posting anything new.  
> But in any case! I do very much hope this 'end' of the series was worth the wait and I look forward to hearing all of your thoughts and reactions as always <3

Ignis had been true to his word, allowing him to bathe in peace and bringing him back out into the main bedroom when he was done, feeling about a million times more himself now that he was clean. He could tell the human was trying not to hover, eyes diligently rooted to the screen of his laptop from his seat at the desk, fingers occasionally flying across the keys with frightening speed. But he still felt the prickle at the back of his neck every now and then from where he sat in the sun, nibbling slowly at the chunk of a biscuit Ignis had given him (“better to start with something bland and easy in case your stomach isn’t quite ready to handle solid food just yet,”) and resolutely keeping his eyes out across the sprawling city.

Surprisingly, he found he wasn’t that anxious about seeing Noct again, probably soon if Ignis’ estimates on how long his current meeting thing would go for were correct. Perhaps it was just the encompassing relief of not being too sick and miserable to move, or, floating in the back of his mind, the thought that he was even alive at all. 

He still shuddered at how bad things had been there for a bit, if Ignis was to be believed, and he hadn’t even known it.  _ That’s _ how bad it had been.

“Prompto? Are you alright?” 

Prompto jolted like he had walked into a faulty electric cable, jerking his head around so fast his vision swam for a moment. He groaned, abandoning the remainder of his food as his hand shot to massage his temples.

“My apologies,” Ignis said, far softer now, slowly dropping to crouch beside the window ledge, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, no!” Prompto said quickly, cheeks burning now with embarrassment, “it’s fine, don’t really know how I didn’t notice you coming, I can usually feel it, y’know?”

Prompto winced, mentally berating himself because of course he didn’t know, giant humans simply weren’t as susceptible to sensing vibrations and sounds as tiny Borrowers were, but when he met his gaze he found only a quiet fascination there. He almost couldn’t be bothered feeling uncomfortable under it anymore, and he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t even a little flattering.

“Yes,” Ignis said, clearing his throat lightly and glancing away, apparently catching himself staring, “Noctis did tell me of your keen senses, they’re truly incredible.”

Well, now Prompto felt himself blushing for a whole different reason. “O-oh, um- it’s really nothing, all Borrowers have them, but uh, yeah, I’m still just tired I guess, or you’re the sneakiest human I’ve ever met!”

Prompto only just resisted the urge to slap himself for that but Ignis merely chuckled, lips curling into a soft smile. “Perhaps so,” he mused, “though I’d imagine your body is simply exhausted from fighting this illness for so long, I’m sure your responsiveness will return with more rest.”

“I sure hope so,” Prompto agreed, pulling into a slightly ginger stretch just to keep his more anxious mind from dwelling on how close this human he still barely knew was. Ignis wasn’t going to hurt him.

“I’m certain of it, though if you are tired then feel free to have a nap if you’d like, the more rest you can get the better.”

Prompto smiled, relaxing his muscles once more, relieved to find they weren’t nearly as stiff as a couple of days ago. “Thanks, but I want to wait and see Noct, if that’s ok?-” he scratched his chin sheepishly- “I- I know he’s been kinda worked up over everything.”

Ignis’ expression somehow softened even more. “If that’s what you wish,” he murmured, “though ‘kind of worked up’ is a bit of an understatement, I’m afraid.”

Prompto frowned, gaze dropping once again. “I- uh- I really hope I didn’t worry him too much, Noct already seems so… I dunno, um, burdened I guess? Just really burdened all the time.”

Ignis didn’t reply immediately, for so long that Prompto glanced warily back up to him, the familiar gnaw of anxiety already growing in the pit of his gut at the thought that he had said something wrong. Ignis looked almost startled, eyes wide behind his glasses. Prompto wasn’t certain whether that was good or not. All at once, Ignis blinked sharply, seemingly jolting back to himself. 

“Ah, apologies, I didn't mean to stare, it’s just, you rather hit the nail on the head,” he said softly, expression turning somewhat strained, “unfortunately, due to his responsibilities as the Prince, Noct’s childhood up to his teen years has not been especially kind to him, you worded it very well, even with his youth, he is already too greatly burdened, and likely will continue to be for the rest of his life.”

“I-” Prompto started, stopped, knew he had no true idea what any of that entailed, even less so what it was to live it, “I don’t think I understand it, don’t really know if I can to be honest, everything Noct’s told me is just, so crazy compared to everything I’ve ever known.”

Ignis snorted. “Well, I can say with confidence that most humans would also not know the true scope of the weight on Noctis’ shoulders-” his gentle smile curled up enough to lightly crinkle the corners of his eyes- “in fact, I would say you are one of the few that might just come to understand it better than any, you’re certainly the first friend Noctis has ever willingly opened up to about it.”

“Wait, really?”

“Indeed, it seems you’ve rather made a habit of slipping past our walls.”

Prompto groaned at the blatant double meaning, not quite a pun, yet the reminder that he had quite literally been living under their noses for so long never failed to make him flush now. Mostly in embarrassment but also kind of in shame too, not that Noct or Ignis had shown any sign of caring at all. 

“Um, thanks? I’m still not entirely sure if that’s a good thing or not, I mean-”

The bedroom doors all but slammed open and he just about jumped out of skin.

“Prom?!” Noctis was calling before he was even fully in the room, “Iggy! Is he still awake? Tell me he’s still awa-”

“Highness please keep your voice down,” Ignis hissed, Prompto still working to get his heart rate back under control enough to form an answer of his own, “Prompto is right here-”

Ignis made a sound suspiciously close to a squawk as he was all but shoved aside, and then Prompto’s vision was dominated by a very large, very animated Prince. He was still gaping by the time he hit his third feverish question, his sluggish brain still struggling to comprehend the first one. Luckily, it seemed that Ignis had recovered well before him, reaching out to grasp Noct’s shoulder, face set firmly in exasperation.

“Noctis, would you please slow down, he is still very worn out.”

Noct’s mouth snapped shut and he blinked sharply, guilt quickly flooding his eyes as he glanced back down towards him. Prompto finally picked his own jaw up, shifting himself around so he was actually facing them both, not quite able to hold back a giggle.

“Shit- right, sorry Prom,” Noctis murmured, a faint flush dusting his cheeks, but that excited, utterly relieved gleam was still in his eyes, making a familiar warmth bloom in his chest, “but it’s just- you’re really awake!”

Prompto grinned, rubbing at his arm shyly. “Good to see you too, Noct-” he glanced away, feeling his own cheeks heat- “um, before anything else, I wanted to say thank you- to both of you- for taking care of me these last couple days, I- I really have no idea what would’ve happened if you guys hadn’t been there.”

Ignis and Noctis shared a heavy glance, only for a moment, but long enough to make that tiny voice in the back of his head wonder if he had said something wrong again. But when both humans turned back their expressions were soft, almost bemused.

“Of course we were gonna look after you,” Noctis said, shifting to fully seat himself cross-legged on the floor, “I wasn’t just gonna wait around and watch you get sicker.”

Ignis calmly adjusted his glasses upon the crook of his nose, something he was now recognising as a flustered tell from the normally composed man. “As Noctis said, we could hardly stand by and watch your condition worsen, though I do sincerely wish that all of this could have happened under better circumstances, ones you were aware of and could have agreed to.”

Prompto nodded. “I wish that too but-” he worried his lip- “to be honest, I don’t know if I’d ever have been brave enough to agree to meet you if I hadn’t got that sick, I mean, I wish it hadn’t been that bad and all but- I guess what I’m saying is... I’m kinda glad things turned out the way they did.”

There was a long beat of quiet. Ignis was the first to break into a soft smile.

“I certainly can’t help but agree,” he said. Noctis nodded beside him, one of those bright grins of his crinkling the corners of his eyes.

“It’ll get easier,” he reassured, the sureness in his voice easing some of the anxious buzz still haunting his head, “we’re all gonna do our best to  _ make _ it easier.”

Prompto worried his lip, guilt niggling under his skin. “I don’t want you guys to have to change up your whole lives just for me.”

Noctis opened his mouth but Ignis beat him to the punch, perhaps anticipating that he was about to blurt out something selfless and stupid that would only make him feel even more guilty.

“Rest assured, Prompto, that we are definitely not upending our lives, it is merely making small changes and accommodations to ensure your comfort.”

“Exactly,” Noct agreed, nodding fast, “we want you to feel safe and happy here Prom, so you gotta help us by setting boundaries and stuff, if we ever do something you aren’t comfortable with, all you’ve gotta do it tell us.”

“I don’t-” Prompto glanced away, overwhelmed- “I don’t know if I can- won’t I just get annoying after a while? It’s- it’s just that- I’m never going to be… like a normal friend.”

“So?” Noctis said, shrugging, “same here, it’s not like a friendship with me was ever going to be normal to begin with, what with all the Prince baggage.”

“I don’t... think they’re exactly the same,” Prompto started.

“Not quite alike,” Ignis said thoughtfully, “but I do suppose there are some similarities.”

“That’s what I’m saying!” 

Prompto felt himself all but gape for a moment, trying to get his voice to work again. His throat felt oddly tight, though not in the sickly way he had grown so accustomed to.

“But- but you’re always gonna be having to look out for me, I’m never gonna be able to keep up with you, even just to cross a room or something, you’re seriously not gonna get sick of carrying me around?”

“It’s not as though it’s hard,” Ignis said dryly. 

“Well, yeah but-”

“Prom, you’re just gonna have to trust us on this,” Noctis said, “you’re not a burden.”

“I-” Prompto hesitated, chewed his lip for a moment, before giving a shaky nod- “if you’re sure.”

Ignis nodded. “Of that, we are very sure.”

“You... really think this could work?”

Ignis smiled, green eyes gleaming with that quiet warmth he was coming to recognise. 

“I do.”

“If it helps,” Noctis piped up, “we’re probably just as worried about this as you, in the opposite way though.”

Prompto frowned, head tilting in confusion. Ignis cleared his throat.

“Indeed, rather, I worry that it is us that may become too overbearing in our eagerness to try and help, as we already have, and as you have already suffered through.”

Prompto felt his jaw move but no words came out. It wasn’t like he could deny it. Noctis nodded once, expression set and determined.

“Exactly, that’s why we all wanna talk about it, make plans for what we can do to make things easier for you without being, y’know, controlling or whatever.”

Prompto nodded, an odd fluttering in his chest. “I really appreciate that.”

“Noctis has informed me of the ‘no touching’ rule, or rather, how it was thrown out the window almost immediately, I would like to reassure you that if our… touchiness, makes you uncomfortable, you need only tell us and we will back off.”

“Oh, uh, honestly-” Prompto scratched at the back of his head, feeling his cheeks heat- “I kinda, don’t mind it so much anymore really, when like, I’m given fair warning that is! But I still would really appreciate it if you guys didn’t just snatch me up whenever you feel like it.”

Ignis looked slightly appalled. “Of course not.”

Prompto tilted his head, lips pulling into a somewhat bashful grin. “Honestly, the lifts have been super nice, not having to get out my grappling gear just to get on top of a table is pretty sweet.”

Ignis eyes went a little pinched at the corners. “Yes… as impressive as the feat is, I imagine it must be exhausting.”

Prompto shrugged. “I’m used to it, and it’s not so bad if I don’t have to do it too much in one day, gotta get a workout somehow right?”

Ignis chuckled. “I suppose so-” his gaze flickered to the younger boy beside him, suddenly fallen oddly quiet- “though, for now, I believe we should try and keep any strain on your body to a minimum, at least until you’ve had more time to recover.”

“Right,” Prompto said, unable to resist sending a nervous glance towards Noctis, his downturned eyes causing his gut to clench with worry. Ignis followed his gaze, seemingly considering the Prince for a long, silent moment, before pointedly clearing his throat.

“I’ll leave you two to talk,” he murmured, softly touching Noct’s shoulder, before standing politely and sweeping back over to the couch. The soft tapping of keyboard keys reached his ears a few moments later.

Prompto slowly let his focus return back to his suddenly sullen friend, wondering if he had said something wrong. Yet Ignis hadn’t seemed upset at all, and besides, he thought he might have had a sneaking suspicion of what was upsetting him.

“Noct?”

Noctis blinked sharply, seemingly snapping back into himself. Though he still seemed to shy away from meeting his eye.

“Prom-” he licked his lips nervously- “you sure you’re ok?”

Prompto leant back, not expecting the question at all. He had kind of thought they had covered all that already. But when he looked a little closer, noting the tense lines of his brow, the dense shadows beneath his sleepy eyes, the pallid tint to his skin, he felt a swell of sadness ripple throughout his chest.

“Yeah dude, I’m fine.”

Noctis didn’t exactly look convinced. Prompto frowned, shuffling gingerly around (his butt had sort of started to go to sleep) until he could fumble his way to his feet. Silently, he gestured for him to come closer.

Noctis’ eyebrows rose slightly, before he was carefully lifting a hand towards him, slow and wary, like they were both back in the apartment with a bomb ticking away beside them. But they weren’t, and unlike then, Prompto didn’t feel even a hint of fear as his friend drew nearer. Noctis hesitated, his hand freezing mere centimetres away. Prompto smiled softly, closing the last of the distance to lay his hand on one of his friend’s giant knuckles.

“I’m ok, Noct, really.”

Noctis smiled gently, a deep warmth in his eyes, before his gaze fell away, expression falling into something deeply troubled once again. Prompto tilted his head, trying to catch his eye again.

“What’s really wrong?”

“I-” Noctis stopped, swallowed tightly, still not meeting his eye, his voice barely above a murmur- “I’m sorry, Prom I- I broke my promise, I told Ignis and Gladio about you, I just- I didn’t know what else to do, you were so sick and I-”

“Noct-”

“-I understand if you can’t forgive me for it, especially after you literally woke up on top of Ignis, shit I wouldn’t either-

“Noct!”

Noctis jumped, startled eyes finally returning to his.

“Ignis explained everything to me, and- it’s alright-” he scratched idly through his hair, now dry from his earlier bath and extraordinarily fluffy- “uh, don’t get me wrong dude, I was super scared when I woke up and realised where I was, and like, well, obviously I knew it must have been you that had given me up to him, but when Ignis told me what had happened and- how bad things had been, I couldn’t be mad at you about it-”

Prompto hesitated, wetting his lips.

“-I’m pretty sure you saved my life…”

Noctis’ eyes widened, only a little, and only for a moment, but it was hard not to notice on a face so big. His lips parted for a moment, like he was about to say something, but seemed to think better of it and instead shifted on the balls of his feet, pulling his hand slowly out from under his, moving it instead to cup slowly around him. Questioningly. Letting him decide whether to pull back or not. Prompto watched him curiously, not nervous in the slightest, though a little bemused as to what he was up to.

He blinked, a small, confused noise leaving his lips as those giant fingers curled delicately around him, warmth blanketing his side and back. So, so close to the memory of an embrace. Prompto felt his lips part, a sharp breath all but crushed from his lungs.  _ This was… _

Noctis scooped his hand forward, taking his legs out from under him in one clean sweep, sending him tumbling backwards with a choked squeal to sprawl across the human’s palm. His digits twitched upwards immediately, ensuring he didn’t roll right off in all his confused squirming. After a moment, realising he wasn’t actually in danger of falling any further, he stilled and shot a glare up at his now snickering friend.

“Dude,” he groaned, smacking lightly at the nearest finger, “not funny.”

Noctis gave a lopsided grin, a teasing glimmer in his eye. “It’s kinda funny.”

Prompto glowered up at his dumb face, fully aware the pout on his lips reduced his already abysmal intimidation factor probably down to the negatives. “Once upon a time you promised me you’d never so much as touch me without my permission,” he muttered. Noctis’ grin didn’t dim in the slightest, in fact, it only grew more shit-eating.

“Do you want me to put you down?”

Prompto considered how uncomfortable the windowsill had grown, his muscles still half asleep and aching with the memory, considered how warm Noct’s hand was pressed against him, soft yet stable. How tired he had already grown once more, the spacey feeling in his brain promising another pounding headache if he didn’t take another nap soon.

“No,” he grumbled, slumping as the indignation bled from him. Noctis laughed, gently lifting him closer to his chest, before pushing himself to his feet with a quiet hiss. Prompto shot him a concerned look, but Noctis only smiled softly and shook his head.

“You hungry or anything?” Noctis asked, seemingly drifting back over to the couches. Prompto shook his head, grimacing when it only made the spaciness pulse stronger, and carefully shuffled his body upwards until he was less reclining and more sitting.

“Nah, Ignis gave me a piece of a biscuit earlier, don’t think my stomach’s up for much other than that and soup right now, dude.”

Noctis hummed. “Thought it was biscuit crumbs you were sitting in back there.”

Prompto jerked, feeling heat flush up the flanks of his neck.

“I-I’ll clean that up later.”

“Dude… it’s literally just a few crumbs.”

“Still,” he insisted, “I’m not a slob!”

Noctis’ eyes narrowed. 

“I know for a fact that you have to have seen how I live sometimes.”

Prompto grimaced. Oh Astrals did he remember when the apartment got like  _ that _ .

“Would you believe me if I said messy humans are actually good for Borrowers? That’s part of why I chose to move in there actually, it’s easier to hide and messy people don’t tend to notice as much when things go missing.”

Noctis shook his head, huffing a laugh.

“Guess I get why you were so nervous about Specs, bet all his cleaning must have been a shock the first time-” he only smirked knowingly when Prompto’s lips drew into a thin line- “but now, I just kinda feel awful that you might have had to wade your way through that, so trust me when I say you really don’t have to feel bad about the two crumbs you might drop every now and then.”

“Did I really just hear that correctly?” Ignis’ voice made him jump, and he whirled around to find that they had apparently reached their destination already. Right, the speed at which humans moved, even at a crawl, was still just ridiculous to him.

“Uh-”

Prompto froze, fingers curling tight into the hem of his jacket.

“Did you actually just admit to your own mess?” Ignis repeated, one sharp eyebrow raising and the hint of an incredulous smile pulling at the corners of his lips. Prompto’s shoulders instantly slumped. He glanced back upwards in bewilderment.

“Is that something you’ve actually been denying?” He said in disbelief, “no offence dude but the day I arrived at your place it actually looked like the inside of a dumpster.”

“Ok thank you-” Noctis said quickly.

“Finally,” Ignis breathed, adjusting his glasses almost smugly, “someone else who sees it for what it truly is.”

“Dude-”

“I’m just saying, I’m pretty sure I have the best perspective here on it, or the worst actually,” Prompto mused. 

“Alright alright I get it,” Noctis groaned, “would you quit tag teaming me.”

Prompto laughed, and dimly, he could hear Ignis chuckling quietly too. It made his stomach do an odd flip up into his chest. Noctis simply rolled his eyes, finally settling on the couch Ignis wasn’t currently occupying with a low, tense groan. He held him away from his body as he stretched out, carefully keeping his perch steady, before raising him again, hovering his hand beside the top of the couch’s backrest in silent invitation. Prompto mentally shrugged, sliding from his seat and wasting no time flopping across the sun-warmed, velvety fabric. He stretched long and languid, muscles tingling with the soft burn of the last couple of days. 

Stifling a yawn into his arm, he turned enough to mumble. “Do you mind if I take a nap?”

He heard that enormous chest rise and fall below, rhythmic, like waves on a still beach, or at least the ones he had seen on TV. 

“Nah man-” Noctis broke off in an enormous yawn of his own- “think I might join you honestly.”

Ignis hummed on the other seat. “I suppose you don’t have anything else pressing scheduled this afternoon...”

Noctis mumbled something incomprehensible. He already sounded half gone. Prompto blinked slow and thought he wasn’t that far either, nodding faintly in acknowledgment. He let his eyes fall closed. Let his brain fill with the sound of those deep, dense breaths and, if he concentrated, perhaps even the tiny vibrations of that giant heart beating away inside his friend’s colossal chest. This… this was something he thought he could grow to love. The encompassing warmth all around him, the distant drone of computer keys tapping, the occasional quiet cough or clearing of a throat, the softest hint of lavender soap, tickling the back of his nose. 

Something flickered in the far depths of his mind. Like fish through the stirred waters of a pond. Something there and gone. Something enormous that rumbled like an earthquake.

“Hold on-” slowly, like old gears grinding together, Prompto’s brain clicked back over the last few minutes of conversation, the hairs on his neck sparked up on end, suddenly he wasn’t tired at all- “did you- did you say  _ Gladio _ knows I’m here too?”

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


“I can’t believe you’d do this to me,” Prompto whined, burying his head in his hands.

“I’m sorry,” Noct said weakly, for about the twentieth time in the last hour, “we just… we didn’t want to leave you alone when you could go downhill so quick, or when someone could’ve stumbled on you so easily, but we’ve been so busy with all this bomb scare stuff that we needed an extra pair of eyes and he was the only other one that already knew about you and-”

“Noct- Noct! It’s- it’s ok, I get why you did it,” Prompto said, waving his hands for emphasis, “and I guess, all things considered, I’m pretty grateful that you did, if I really was that sick, but-” He hesitated, very aware that this was one of Noct’s friends he was talking about, even if he was apparently to be considered within that circle now. In theory.

“You’re still nervous about properly meeting him?” Noctis finished. Prompto nodded miserably, shame creeping up the back of his neck. It was stupid he knew, cowardly. If he could get over his fears and talk things out with Ignis, up til now the scariest human he’d maybe ever seen (that whole fear had kinda gone down since he hadn’t let up in his fussing even slightly just yet), then surely he could get it together and face this other one? Except Gladio was far bigger and grouchier than Ignis, and he knew intimately what those giant hands of his felt like when they were crushing his tiny body beneath them. Well… maybe not exactly crushing, he was still here after all, but stil.

“I could hold you while you talk if that’d help?” Noctis suggested, “or we could close him in the bathroom and you guys could talk through the door?”

“Dude no way!” He squeaked, “that’s so rude! He’d only hate me even more if you made him do that.”

“He doesn’t hate you, Prom,” Noct huffed, seemingly refocusing for a brief moment and scribbling down another line in his notebook. Given their nap time had swiftly gone out the window when Prompto’s anxiety had gone through the roof after that revelation, Ignis had started fussing about something called ‘homework’ until Noct had capitulated and spread a stack of large books out on the desk, Prompto hitching a lift over with them. Ignis had left shortly after that, apparently to go and have a little talk with Gladio himself, before they were to meet again. Prompto couldn’t help but shiver every time he remembered that. Noctis’ explanations for what he was working on had at least served as a decent-ish distraction (and seemed to actually help Noct himself to understand the work a little more), at least enough to calm his ceaseless fidgeting. From what he knew about Ignis now, that was probably no accident. 

“He’d kick my ass if he found out I’d told you this,” he continued, “but you should probably know that he’s just about as nervous as you are for this.”

Prompto snorted, refocusing on the human slumped before him once more. “Yeah right.”

“No seriously,” Noctis said, flipping to the next page of his ‘textbook’, as he had called it, “he feels real shit for what he did at the apartment- I mean, we all felt super shitty about it afterwards, but Gladio was like, real depressed about it, I don’t think it really hit him until after it was all over just how shitty all of the decisions we made were, and it hit him pretty hard considering he either made or encouraged most of them.”

“Right,” Prompto said, not exactly reassured by that reminder. Noctis grimaced. 

“Yeah, again, we all really,  _ really _ screwed that up.”

“Well,” Prompto mumbled, nibbling his lip and fiddling with the hem of his pants nervously, “I gave you and Ignis another chance, I guess it’s only fair I give Gladio one as well.”

Noctis smiled reassuringly. “You’ll be fine, I promise, Gladio’s a big softy when you get to know him.”

Prompto’s expression must have let on how much that just didn’t compute.

“You’ll get what I mean, trust me, he’s nothing but a big teddy bear under all that muscle.”

“Right…” Prompto said faintly, picking idly at his cuticles. He couldn’t exactly imagine the same Gladio that had been so hellbent on capturing and questioning him a couple of weeks ago could ever possibly be a ‘teddy bear’ in his eyes. But then, he supposed he had also never imagined a human would wind up being not only his friend, but his  _ best _ friend at that. And, well, his only friend for a while there as well.

“Prom?” Noctis said gently, “are you sure you’re ready for this? Gladio would understand if you weren’t up for it just yet, I mean, you’ve had a pretty insane couple of days.”

Prompto groaned, rubbing his knuckles hard into his closed eyes. “I know,” he muttered, “but I really don’t want to keep putting it off. I think- I think I’m scared that if I keep delaying it I’ll just never have the guts to, y’know?”

“Yeah, I get that,” Noctis said, the dark of his eyes going soft, like velvet, “but if it helps, he’s not gonna touch you, I know he won’t, and even if he tried to, I wouldn’t let him unless you wanted him to.”

Prompto tried to repress his shudder. “I’d… really prefer he didn’t-” he failed, a harsh shiver rolling up his spine as he glanced away guiltily- “I’ve kinda still- um- still got bad memories of him in- in particular.”

Noctis’ expression twisted, but not in surprise. “Yeah, that’s understandable,” he muttered, “well, maybe we can’t lock him in the bathroom, but I can still be with you when you guys talk it out, if you want that is?”

Prompto let his gaze slide hesitantly back up. “You’d do that? Wouldn’t that just be more awkward? Or- wait- would Gladio be insulted by that?”

“No, Prom, you’re fine, seriously, Gladio’s just happy you’re even gonna let him try and talk it out with you, and no one’s gonna judge you for not wanting to be alone during it, I mean, none of us expected you’d be alone when you talked with Ignis-”

He scratched at his neck with the back of his pen, brows twitching together with something like regret.

“-I don’t want you to have to go through that stress all alone again, so if you want me there when you two talk, I’ll do it.”

Prompto felt an uncontrollable grin tug his lips up, cheeks heating a little as his friend awkwardly bumbled through his sincerity. “Aww, aren’t you so sweet?”

Noctis shot a weak glare back at him, lifting the pen from his page again to prod him gently in the belly with the end. A high-pitched squeak burst out of him like he’d hit the button on a toy. Prompto clapped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide as his neck heated under his collar. Noctis stared back for a long moment, lips parted. The corners twitched upwards.

“Don’t-” Prompto whined.

Noctis snorted.

“Noct-”

“ _ Oh my gods, the noise you just made _ -” Noctis wheezed, giggles bubbling around the edges of his words.

“Ugh, I take back anything nice I ever said about you, you’re actually the worst-”

“Noctis? Prompto?”

Prompto visibly jumped at the Advisor’s voice, earning a worried look from Noct that he quickly waved off. He would get used to it, eventually. He hoped. Noctis hesitated, watching him carefully a moment longer, before turning his head towards the door.

“What’s up, Specs?”

Ignis stepped into the room, smart as ever in his waistcoat and slacks, not fully closing the door behind him. Prompto blinked towards him curiously, a bubble of nerves beginning to boil within his chest when the normally poised man hesitated, seemingly contemplating his next words. Finally, he cleared his throat, squaring his shoulders decidedly.

“Gladio is outside, if you were ready to see him, Prompto?”

The hairs on his arms bristled like someone had dunked him into a glass of ice water, his spine snapping straight.  _ Oh gods, he wasn’t ready for this _ -

“He wanted me to tell you, if you were not up for this-” Ignis said gently, closer all of a sudden, concern gleaming behind his glasses- “that he completely understands if you did not wish to see him just yet, none of us wish to force you into this.”

Prompto gulped. He opened his mouth, fully intending to answer him, but no sound aside from a faint rasp came out.

“Tell him to wait,” Noctis said sharply, abandoning his school work, moving his hand closer to him, as though he were trying to shield him from sight again.

“No!” Prompto yelped. Noctis eyes snapped back to him, and he could feel Ignis’ sharp gaze on as well.

“I- I don’t-” he swallowed but felt nothing go down, forcing himself to stand on shaky legs, refusing to use Noct’s offered hand as a support- “I don’t wanna be rude, and- and I don’t think I should put this off…”

Noctis glanced from him to Ignis, the pair seeming to have a whole, silent back-and-forth, before Ignis’ eyes met his, and he gave a single, tiny nod. 

“I will go and fetch him then,” he said gently, “but you must know, Prompto, Gladio will not hurt you, he will not even come near you if you do not want him to, rest assured, you are completely safe here.”

Prompto nodded, feeling like he was drifting somewhere just outside of his body, not even truly sure if his head had moved or not. Ignis expression softened a little, so he assumed he must have.

“I’ll sit with you while you guys talk,” Noctis said quickly, slowly tilting the hand still hovering beside him until it lay flat, palm-up in a clear offering, “if you want me to, might make you feel a bit more secure?”

“Yeah,” Prompto said faintly, stumbling to climb into his friend’s hand, “I’d appreciate that, thanks Noct.”

He barely even realised it when Noctis lifted his hand from the desk, fingers delicately curling to form a protective barrier, nor the steady, familiar sway as he walked, mind too busy buzzing around what, exactly, he had just agreed to. He strained hard to not let his brain wander right back to that day in the apartment, knowing if he dwelled on the memory of those giant hands pressing down on him he might well give in and just bolt. 

He couldn’t do that, he had told Noctis he would give Gladio a chance, and according to him, the larger man wasn’t nearly as terrifying as he had come to believe. He supposed that was easier to believe when the height difference was a foot or two, as opposed to metres. But Noctis hadn’t lied to him yet, hadn’t forced him into anything that had hurt him, so he sucked in a long, shuddering breath, and forced himself still as Noctis settled on the couch, slipping from his palm to sit cross-legged on his knee. 

He didn’t have long to wait.

Prompto was struck all over again with just how gigantic Gladio was, overshadowing both Noctis and Ignis easily in height and build, and making himself feel less like a mouse and more like a bug. His slow, wary steps still sent heavy vibrations rolling up through his legs, his measured pace doing nothing to mask it. He kind of already regretted not taking Noct up on the whole talking-through-the-bathroom-door idea.

He must have been showing it more than he thought, because the fingertip that softly touched his shoulder just about made him jump out of his skin.

“Sorry,” Noctis murmured, Prompto glanced up to briefly catch the look of guilt on his face, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off of the behemoth of a man steadily lumbering towards the seat farthest away from where he and Noct were sat, “you ok?”

“Yep,” Prompto squeaked, the sound barely making it past his lips. Noctis grimaced, and yeah, Prompto didn’t believe himself either. Ignis cautiously cleared his throat from somewhere behind the couch, appearing a moment later over the back of it, apparently content to lean against it on tensely crossed arms. He shot a quick look down at him, smiling in a way that Prompto assumed was supposed to be encouraging. And it might have been, if every slight sound Gladio made wasn’t currently making him bristle and flinch in on himself.

He didn’t miss how Gladio’s large hands clenched and unclenched on his knees, gnawing on his lower lip as he chanced a glance towards Ignis, enormous shoulders seeming to slump a little at whatever he saw. Prompto couldn’t tear his eyes from him, even if he realised it was rude to stare, his instincts simply wouldn’t allow it. 

He stayed silently slumped atop Noct’s knee, dearly hoping they weren’t all waiting for him to start talking. What would he even say?  _ Hey, so thanks a lot for looking out for me while I was too sick to move, I still really wish you hadn’t almost crushed me like a cockroach a couple of weeks ago! _

Yeah, he somehow didn’t imagine that would go over well. The sound of a deep, growly throat clearing made him startle, all of his attention snapping right back to the source of all his spiralling.

“So, uh,” Gladio began awkwardly, throat bobbing as he cleared his throat, “you look like you’re feeling a lot better.”

He felt more than saw Noctis head shifting, and he had a feeling he was pinning the larger man with a no doubt unimpressed look. Prompto swallowed tightly, trying his damndest to will his hands to stop shaking.

“Y-yeah,” he managed to bite out, clearing his own throat in an attempt to get even half of his normal voice back, “um- I am.”

He didn’t really think he succeeded. Gladio nodded slowly.

“That’s good-” he rubbed at his nose, looking away awkwardly- “that’s, uh, that’s really good to hear.”

Noctis made a small, disapproving sound above him. To his left Ignis cleared his throat pointedly. 

Gladio heaved a deep sigh, dragging one gigantic hand through his dark hair. “Look kid, before anything else, I just- I wanted to apologize for how I acted back at the apartment, it’s my fault things even got this shit in the first place.”

Prompto blinked. And then blinked again.

“Are you- are you joking?” He heard himself stammer.

“No,” Gladio said, shifting awkwardly, “I’m not- look, ok I- that time, back in the apartment, when I caught you, I could literally feel how scared you were and it… I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I’m sorry.”

“You- what?” 

“I’m sorry,” Gladio said again, steadier this time, “for everything.”

Prompto didn’t know whether to laugh or burst into tears. Had no idea whether he should have felt scared, relieved, pleased, or hell, maybe he should have been furious. And who would have blamed him? He somehow didn’t imagine Noctis or Ignis would have been surprised if he had been. Not anymore. And yet, despite everything, despite knowing that perhaps he should have felt nothing but raw anger and hatred towards this human, he just… couldn’t.

“You’re not joking?”

“Not even a little.”

“Ok.”

Gladio glanced in Ignis direction, seemingly unsure what to make of that.

“Uh... ok?”

“Yeah,” Prompto said dumbly, licking his suddenly dry lips, “um, I mean, I accept your apology?”

He winced at how uncertain his own voice sounded.

“You don’t have to,” Gladio said quickly, stilling as soon as the words had left his mouth, before glancing away, “I mean… shit I’d understand if you didn’t.”

Prompto swallowed, not even sure what to say to that. It wasn’t like he was about to deny it, though he couldn’t ignore a small part of himself that was almost relieved at the admission. That the giant of a man was actively trying not to back him into a corner, was trying so hard not to seem so intimidating that he felt he had no choice but to go along with whatever he wanted. It was quite something to realise that a being as enormous and powerful as Gladio was straining so hard not to appear as either. It didn’t exactly work, yet he couldn’t help but appreciate the effort.

Gladio shifted uncomfortably, as though sensing his thoughts, immense shoulders somehow hunching inwards even more.

“I need to thank you too, Ti- Prompto,” he rumbled, looking away in either guilt or shame, Prompto couldn’t discern which, “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t warned Noct about that bomb, so, thank you, we all really fuckin’ owe you.”

“You can say that again,” Noctis mumbled behind him. Prompto felt the back of his neck heat.

“I- uh- I really didn’t do that much,” he mumbled. Noctis made a sharp noise of disagreement.

“Didn’t do that much,” Gladio repeated in disbelief.

“Prom, you literally saved my life,” Noctis said, the knee he was still perched upon hitching slightly beneath him.

“Well, y-yeah, but I mean, all I did was warn you about the thing- s’not like I went and got rid of it myself or anything.”

“That’s not enough?” Noctis asked, a hint of exasperation leaking into his voice now, “I know that was fucking terrifying for you, and it’s not like I’d really done anything to even deserve your help after- y’know.”

Prompto shrugged helplessly. 

“You said that you heard the break-in a few hours before his Highness returned home from school,” Ignis pointed out calmly, “you could have simply left…”

“But people would have died,” Prompto blurted, stomach twisting with horror at the very idea. Ignis seemed to relax back on his crossed arms, something almost satisfied written in the lines of his face. 

“Well, whatever you think, you still saved Charmless here’s life in the end, and for that I don’t even know if any of us will ever be able to thank you properly.”

“I- uh- I kinda think I’ve been thanked enough already to be honest-” he dragged his hand awkwardly up the back of his neck- “it’s- um- all just kinda a lot to wrap my head around.”

“Iggy hasn’t been that bad has he?” Gladio said with a small, almost hesitant, smirk. Ignis huffed, muttering something that sounded like ‘as if you have any room to talk’, but Prompto was already shaking his head.

“No no! N-not at all- um- I really appreciate everything he’s been doing for me, it’s all been super nice, it’s just- it’s all just a lot more than I’m used to, y’know?”

“More attention, you mean?” Gladio probed, expression slightly perturbed now.

“More like more everything,” he mumbled, fiddling with the hem of his jacket sleeve in a bid to stave off the embarrassment clawing at the edge of his mind, not even fully sure why he felt it, “more talking, more- uh- touching, probably seen more food in the last week than my whole life combined.”

He had meant it as a joke, more meaning the sheer size of all the meals that had been dropped in front of him before he got sick, and tried to awkwardly laugh it off, but his past experience with Noct probably should have tipped him off that it wouldn’t be taken that way. And sure enough he watched as Gladio’s face twisted into something almost disturbed.

“Shit kid-” he scratched along the shaved side of his scalp- “you went hungry that often?”

Prompto flinched, not missing how the knee he sat upon flexed almost unnoticeably beneath him as well. Almost. 

“N-no, it wasn’t-” he swallowed, dearly wishing every eye in the room wasn’t currently pinning him in place like an insect to a display board- “it wasn’t that bad, I was never like, starving or anything like that, I mean, sometimes things were a bit, uh, tight, but I meant like, just how big everything you guys have is compared to me.”

Gladio leant back in his seat a little, not exactly looking convinced.

“Right,” he mumbled.

“Anyway,” Prompto stammered, desperately steering the conversation away from the uncomfortable place it had been careening towards, “that’s- that’s not the reason we’re here, right?”

Gladio sighed, glancing away in what he could only describe as shame once more. Prompto almost felt bad. 

“No, you’re right,” he said, straightening in his seat.

Ignis cleared his throat pointedly, and when Prompto turned to look at him he was  _ almost _ successful in hiding the soft sadness lingering in his eyes.

“Perhaps if Gladio had the chance to prove his sincerity?” He offered gently.

Prompto worried his lip, glancing nervously back at the man in question. He knew this talk was at least a start, and already way more progress than he had ever expected to have with the guy, but he didn’t exactly think that meant he was anywhere near ready to be alone with him or anything anytime soon.

But then, it seemed Gladio had already realised and accepted that, as he spoke up again.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me, nor would I blame you if you didn’t, but- I’d really appreciate the chance to at least show you how grateful I am for everything with Noct, if nothing else.”

Prompto swallowed, searching those once fierce amber eyes with as much fervor as he had once searched Noct’s. There was a sincerity in them too, not the exact same, open vulnerability as Noct, but more a quiet hopefulness, tinged with lingering guilt. The burning amber more a slow-drizzling honey.

“Alright,” he heard himself say.

He could feel all eyes on him once again, but he forced himself not to look away from the giant of a man, face now coloured with genuine surprise.

“Are-” Gladio shifted uncomfortably, actually leaning  _ away _ from him a little, as ridiculous as that was- “are you… sure? I mean shit kid, I’d understand if you didn’t-”

“I agreed to give these two another chance,” he said, gesturing towards Noct and Ignis, and mentally rejoicing when he voice didn’t fumble even once, “it’s only fair I do the same to you.”

“I was a lot worse to you than either of them though,” Gladio mumbled bitterly, looking away in shame. Prompto felt himself frown, and his mouth was opening again before he could think better of it.

“Then I guess you’ll just have to work twice as hard then.”

He only just stopped himself from slapping a hand to his mouth, knowing that wouldn’t help him shove the words back down his throat. Above him, Noctis snickered. He half expected the human- Gladio’s- face to twist with anger, but instead, he blinked at him a couple of times, eyes wide, before a large grin split his lips and he huffed a gruff laugh that Prompto faintly felt in his chest.

“Guess I’d better get to work then.”

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


Ignis, Prompto was slowly learning, was far less intimidating than his often flat expressions and impeccable fashion sense would have people believe. After only a few days in his presence he almost felt scammed.

He hadn’t understood what Noct had meant when he had called him a ‘mother hen’. But he did now. Prompto was still utterly bemused and a little overwhelmed every time the man would ask how he was, if there was anything he could do for him, and he was always quick to shake his head and turn him down as politely as possible. Ignis would smile kindly, but he never missed the flickers of guilt that still seemed to haunt the corners of his eyes. Yet it was in the smaller things he noticed that he really began to realise just how deep Ignis’ care ran. 

He still often found himself drifting off, dozing and napping here or there as his body continued to fight off the last dregs of his fever. Every time he woke he found himself covered with his bandana, or a soft, clean-smelling handkerchief.

The little bowls of fresh water had also grown more numerous, appearing in the places he had taken to settling in when left to his own devices, always clean and refilled whenever he returned to them. Much as he was growing to adore Noctis, he didn’t imagine his sleepy-headed friend was that pedantic.

He had known for ages that Ignis enjoyed cooking, he supposed he had to given how much he catered for Noctis, though from what he could tell it didn’t seem to annoy him much. What he hadn’t accounted for was that all of that cooking skill was apparently to be applied to him now, and Ignis was wasting no time. Almost every time he returned to Noct’s rooms from whatever things he was seemingly always busy with he would sweep in with some new platter of beautifully crafted sweets and baked goods.

“Pretend to be sick more often,” Noctis had hissed around a mouthful of some kind of  _ amazing _ chocolate and caramel tartlet, and that kind of hadn’t sounded like a bad idea. Though he did find it incredibly sad that there was no way in hell he would ever finish even one of the rich sweets Ignis continued to bring for them (they weren’t just for him, he kept insisting). 

“He’s always been like this,” Noctis had mumbled, lazily licking cinnamon sugar from his fingers, “it’s like, he gets out a lot of his emotions through cooking I think, this is sort of like when he stress bakes, but instead of stressing I think he’s just trying to be caring.”

“By feeding me more sugar in one week than I’ve probably seen in my whole life?”

Noctis had simply shrugged and reached for another tart. Prompto had barely even made a dent in the one he had plopped in front of him, finding it easier to break off small parts of the shortbread crust and use them to scoop up dollops of the gooey filling.

“Not like I’m complaining.”

Prompto spiralled slowly out of the memory, blinking back into the relative quiet of the bedroom. The soft, swift patter of computer keys made him turn his head just enough to regard the object of his musings, catching his lip between his teeth as he once again contemplated interrupting the man.

If all of his musings told him anything, it was that Ignis would most likely not be upset with him at all for it. Most likely. He grimaced, shuffling restlessly where he sat upon the glass edge of the coffee table, his back still to the human, apparently hard at work as always. He was starting to wonder if he ever truly stopped.

He glared down at the dark, gleaming marble floor below, trying to shove the questions buzzing around his brain back into the corners they had crawled out of. Yet, ever since his fever had broken, and he had been able to focus on something other than his own pain and exhaustion, he hadn’t been able to stop himself going back over the events of the days he remembered before that. And the memory of those incidents at the library had swiftly made a stone weigh in his stomach.

He wondered if Noctis had apologised to Ignis yet, now that he knew the true reason he had been so quick to snap, not that it was really any of his business. He still hoped that he had. But, if he truly had to pin it down, it was the conversation he had accidentally been privy to with the King, Noct’s father, that truly still made his chest tighten with nerves he couldn’t name. The memory of it just felt…  _ awful _ . It lingered about him like a bad stench, and he couldn’t help but wonder- but he couldn’t just ask Noctis himself-

Which brought him right back around to Ignis, still utterly focused on the swathe of papers and notebooks and devices spread out in an orderly chaos around him.

Prompto worried his lip, glancing away, and then back. Ignis wouldn’t hate him for asking questions. Slowly, he scooted backwards, pushed himself to his feet and, with one final deep breath for confidence, silently padded across the glass top of the table. Ignis didn’t seem to notice at all as he approached at first, which was oddly comforting in a way. It was nice to know he could still be so silent and stealthy, even if he was known now.

But now, he didn’t need to be stealthy, quite the opposite actually. He cleared his dry throat, but the sound came out small even to his ears, and Ignis didn’t so much as pause in his work. Prompto sighed softly, rocking awkwardly on the balls of his feet a moment, before steeling himself, and opening his mouth.

“Um, Ignis?” Prompto called, hovering warily by his long empty coffee mug. Ignis startled, head snapping up from his paperwork, but his eyes instantly softened when they landed on him.

“Yes, Prompto? Is something wrong? Do you need anything?”

“Uh, n-no,” he stammered, “I’m fine, I just, um, wondered if I could ask you a question?”

He swallowed tightly, staring at his boots.

“About Noct?”

“I’m afraid that depends,” Ignis replied carefully, laying down his pen and steepling his hands beneath his chin, giving him his full attention, Prompto kind of wished he hadn’t, “but I will do my best.”

Prompto nodded, shifting nervously from foot to foot. He forced his gaze up to meet Ignis’ eyes. They weren’t like Noct’s, not one bit. Bright but sharp, flecked with the palest green, like sunlight streaming through an old bottle, and far,  _ far _ too clever. Enough to make him shudder with instincts he couldn’t name.

“Ok, uh, thank you, so um, why- uh-”

“You need not be so nervous Prompto,” Ignis said gently, leaning back in his seat, “I hardly expect you to be at ease around me yet, but I will not be upset with you for merely asking questions.”

Prompto hesitated a moment longer, before giving a slow nod.

“Ok, well, it’s just-” Prompto stopped, swallowed, and decided to just spit the question out already, “why doesn’t Noct get along with his father?”

Ignis eyes widened, just slightly, but it was more than enough for him to notice.

“Sorry,” he blurted instinctively, “I d-didn’t want to ask Noct, in case it was something bad but-”

“It’s alright, you haven’t done anything wrong,” Ignis soothed, one hand raising placatingly, “I am merely surprised, what brought you to this conclusion?”

“I-I kind of overheard their conversation, when Noct and I were leaving the library? I didn’t mean to! I couldn’t really help it, I was kinda in his pocket at the time,” he babbled, anxiety making him fumble over the words, “but they were so- so awkward around each other, but, they’re family aren’t they?”

“Yes, they are,” Ignis said softly, delicately plucking his glasses from his nose, “but when it comes to their relationship, well, I’m afraid that isn’t the simplest thing to answer.”

Prompto regarded him for a moment, watching him pull out the crisp handkerchief from his pocket to carefully clean his lenses, seemed he still had plenty to keep on his person, despite having donated quite a few to him now. Prompto hoped the heat he felt across his cheeks wasn’t too noticeable.

“How so?” He probed curiously, buoyed slightly by the fact that Ignis genuinely didn’t seem upset with him at all. Yet.

Ignis sighed gently, replacing his glasses upon the slight crook along the bridge of his nose.

“Well, as you are aware, Noctis’ father is the King of Lucis, Regis Lucis Caelum-”

Prompto mouthed the name silently, rolling the syllables testingly across his tongue.

“-as you might imagine, it’s quite the demanding role, a King’s duty is to his people before all else, even if that includes his own son, so, over the years, the time they could spend together grew shorter and shorter, and all too often has been completely nonexistent.”

“It’s- it’s really that bad?” Prompto murmured. Ignis’ eyes slipped downwards, the flat line of his lips dipping further. 

“I’m afraid so-” carefully, he slid his computer from his lap fully, leaning a little closer now, slowly, like he was afraid he would spook if he drew too close, Prompto barely noticed, too busy staring down through the glass of the table, down to the fluffy shag rug below- “Noctis understands why things are this way, I believe he does know that his father loves him very much, it is just extraordinarily hard for either of them to show it properly.”

“The King’s gotta take breaks at some point though, right?” Prompto pointed out weakly, really not sure in the slightest.

Ignis smiled sadly. 

“Hardly ever as much as I’m sure he needs.”

“But- but there has to be some time where he’s not working? Not even a human can just go forever without resting every now and then.”

Ignis’s head tilted, the corners of his eyes going a little pinched. “Well, yes, of course his Majesty must rest himself, now more than ever in fact-”

“Then surely Noct could go and see him then! Don’t they want to see each other?”

Ignis stilled, pinched eyes drawing even tighter.

“Of course they do,” he all but whispered.

Prompto stared up at him, and the expression on his face must have been truly pitiful, because Ignis’ face crumpled even further.

“I- I don’t understand...”

Ignis head tilted down a fraction further, peering down at him intently through the crystal clear lenses of his glasses. He released a soft breath through his lips, and Prompto hoped dearly that he wasn’t growing annoyed, yet the quiet, gentle look in his eyes never lessened.

“I suppose, if I were to explain it properly, I would have to start with Noctis himself-”

Prompto tilted his head, waiting. Ignis made a small hum of a sound.

“Well, despite his status, or rather, in spite of it, Noctis has always craved a sense of normalcy, refuge and companionship separate from his duties as the Crown Prince-”

Ignis gaze flickered downward, dropping to stare pensively into the glass top of the table.

“-I suppose, when it was clear he couldn’t find that with his father, given he can almost never be removed from his own duties himself, he believed it would be better to be removed from him entirely, and so he moved out of the Citadel and into the apartment you eventually found yourself in.”

Prompto felt himself nod faintly. He supposed, distantly, he could understand that. If the King was as busy a man as everyone kept saying then it made sense. You couldn’t just wait around forever hoping for someone to come back to you when the chances were already slim. Against his will his mind shot back- back to sturdy walls decorated by skilled hands and years of hard work. Back to an echoing quietness and days spent waiting, waiting,  _ waiting _ . Nights that were passed staring at a door that would never open again. Waiting. Hoping.  _ Begging _ .

Prompto blinked sharply, willing the itch beneath his eyes to go away, even as he felt just a little of that liquid heat begin to sting down his cheek. He kept his head down, chewing on his lip, wincing when he pressed a little too hard.

“Is there really nothing he can do to make it better? It’s just… it’s his  _ father _ -”

“I’m afraid, sometimes things are simply unforgiving like that,” Ignis said, voice quiet, a little taught, like a coarsely plucked guitar string, “the King is a very busy man, and he knows that Noctis can only enjoy so much more time of limited freedom, if he can give him that at least, if he believes that that will grant his son even the smallest amount of happiness, he will do it, even if it is at the detriment of their relationship.”

“I-I don’t think I can understand that…”

It must have been something in his voice, because Ignis sat up a little straighter. Not extremely noticeable, only twitching upwards a fraction really, but he honed in on it like a hawk to a mouse in the grass. Prompto almost didn’t say anything more, but Ignis waited expectantly, and he found the words running past his lips before he could stop them.

“For Borrowers… our family is all we have, there’s nothing more important to us. We don’t have important titles, or kingdoms, or shields or advisors. We live our lives for the ones we love, and as long as we have each other… life’s worth living.”

He swallowed hard, and it almost stung, blinking fast to fend off the incoming tide of fresh tears.

“So I can’t understand that, it’s too- too important to just let it drift apart, not when you can-”

He cut himself off, breath catching in his throat. He didn’t want to say it.  _ Dear gods he didn’t want to say it _ . But he had to understand, he had to make him understand.

“Not when you can lose them so quickly.”

Ignis didn’t answer, at least, not right away, and Prompto couldn’t bring himself to look up and see what kind of expression he wore. Hell, he wasn’t even sure what kind of expression  _ he _ had right now. He felt the tell-tale itch of tears beneath his eyes and hoped to the gods that he was small enough that Ignis just wouldn’t notice. And yet, given how sharp he knew Ignis was, he didn’t exactly fancy his chances.

And, sure enough, a moment later he felt a familiar warmth against his skin, though he realised that nothing was actually touching him. When he glanced warily to his side, he found one of Ignis’ massive hands curled lightly around him. Not exactly close, far enough that he could just feel the heat that always radiated off of the enormous man, far enough to let him easily pull away if he so chose. 

He didn’t, and he knew he must have been really fucked because he felt himself lean  _ into _ his touch. If it had been Noct he might not have thought twice about it now, and yet, even as he felt that solid, grounding warmth seeping through the fabric of his clothes, he couldn’t help how his gut still gave the faintest twist. A latent fear, being this close to something so massive. Ignis could crush him with no effort whatsoever.

_ But he wouldn’t _ . 

Ignis fingers curled just a fraction more around him, and the soft pressure against his skin felt so close to a hug it  _ hurt _ . A stuttered, barely-there breath slipped past the man’s lips, far above him.

“Oh, darling,” Ignis murmured, ever so gentle, yet there was something in the note of it, a tone he couldn’t name, and he knew that the realisation had not surprised him, “I’m so sorry.”

“N-no,” Prompto stammered desperately, jerking up straighter against his palm, straining to get his stupid emotions in control enough to not be so damn obvious, “it’s not- it’s fine it’s- it’s nothing-”

“Prompto,” Ignis interrupted, “what you have gone through is hardly nothing, you don’t have to feel ashamed for being upset about what you have lost.”

Prompto could feel himself trembling, could feel it down in the cold tips of his fingers, in the hollow, panicked fluttering of his heart inside his empty chest. He raised his eyes back to meet Ignis’s, watching him with tender concern written in the sharp lines of his face, yet respectfully not leaning too close to be stifling. He opened his mouth, fully intending to try and dissuade him from prying any further, change the subject or something, anything.

A choked sob was the only sound to burst from his lips and he felt himself collapse in on himself, like a rotting tree root crumbling to pieces. He stammered what might have been an apology, or two, or ten, while he struggled to get himself back under control, Ignis only rumbled quiet, soothing words that he couldn’t quite make out, not over the staccato drum of his heart in his ears and the shattered heaves of his watery breaths. He could feel the human’s giant fingertips stroking delicately across his back, as steady and precise as the man they belonged to.

Finally, the vice in his chest began to loosen its hold, letting his breaths come in full, even as he hiccuped painfully through the first couple.

“S-sorry-”

“Not at all, Prompto, take your time now, can you let your shoulders relax for me?” Ignis murmured. He was dimly aware of his other hand shifting away to fiddle with something near his chest. He sniffled miserably, nodding shakily, and immediately found that task a good deal harder than it should have been. But Ignis made a small, satisfied noise in the back of his throat so he counted it as a win. He swallowed, but it went down dry and stung the still tender flesh in his throat.

“Th-thank you,” he forced out. Ignis definitely deserved a ‘thank you’.

“I imagine you have held this to yourself for quite some time,” Ignis murmured, delicately offering him the corner of his handkerchief between the pinched fingers of his free hand.

Prompto choked out a wet laugh, gratefully taking it.

“Who would I have told?”

Ignis gave him a sad look. “Well, I do appreciate you trusting me enough to share this with me, is there anything that I can do for you? Anything that might help you feel at ease?

Prompto smiled up at him, a little shaky. “No, I’m fine, really, I seriously appreciate you even listening.”

“Of course,” Ignis said, eyebrows furrowing faintly, “I only wish you had not had to go through such awful things for so long, especially on your own, truthfully, I have no idea how you even managed.”

Prompto shrugged, somewhat awkwardly.

“Just gotta keep moving forward, y’know? My parents… they wouldn’t have wanted me to be sad forever-”

Ignis smiled gently, that deep sadness still set in the green of his eyes. 

“-Or alone for that matter,” Prompto added, glancing down to his feet as he felt his neck heat a little, “though, uh, I don’t really think you all were the company they would’ve ever had in mind.”

A surprised chuckle burst from the human’s lips, and Prompto felt his shoulders drop from the taught line they had hitched themselves to. 

“No,” Ignis agreed, “I imagine not, though I can say with certainty that I am definitely not complaining.”

Prompto felt the warmth in his neck travel neatly up to the tips of his ears.

“Neither- uh- neither am I.”

Ignis smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling beneath his glasses. Slowly, he leant further forward, Prompto tilting his head back in bemusement as he stretched an arm right over him before carefully sitting back, delicately sliding the little bowl of water he had set out beside him.

“You should drink some water, it’s important to rehydrate after something like this.”

Prompto sniffled and nodded, struggling not to burst into tears all over again for a completely different reason now.

“Y-yeah, thank you.”

Ignis nodded encouragingly, hand still hovering nearby. Prompto found that it didn’t fill him with nearly as much dread as it might have in the past. 

“Take your time,” Ignis murmured, the lilt of his accent so soothing against his frazzled emotions, “is there anything you want? Anything that might make you more comfortable?”

Prompto gave a watery little giggle, sniffing noisily as he shook his head, unable to hold back a shaky smile.

“You gotta stop bein’ so nice to me, I’ll start crying again.”

Igis made a small noise, fingers twitching outwards just a fraction, like he was physically forcing himself not to try and reach out to him.

“Well, I’m very sorry to say that I will not be stopping that,” he said, very matter of factly. He almost choked on the burst of laughter that sparked, but found himself sobering quickly, forcing his eyes shyly up to meet the man’s still openly concerned, and sad, gaze. He worried his lips, deliberating over what he was about to do a moment longer, before raising a hand silently towards the human’s own, giant one. 

Ignis’ brow furrowed, before raising again in surprise. He watched him carefully for a long moment, seemingly trying to gauge how serious he was, the worry in his eyes a sharp jolt of guilt in his gut. Prompto decided he really didn’t want that there anymore. If Ignis could do his best to be there for him, multiple times now, then the least he could do was prove to him how he was growing to trust him.

Slowly, achingly slowly, Ignis’ fingers uncurled just a little further, before he was carefully closing the distance between them. Prompto didn’t flinch, didn’t shy away. He forced himself to stay still, not out of any fear of his own, he realised, but out of the knowledge that it was  _ Ignis  _ who would flinch back if he showed even the slightest sign of discomfort. Indeed, the human almost seemed to be holding his breath, mouth set in a wary line as he finally came within touching distance.

Prompto bit down on an almost hysterical giggle at the sheer insanity of the situation, something he might have thought impossible once, before leaning forward and gently laying his own hand atop the pad of one, giant fingertip. He smiled up at him, feeling a flush heat his cheeks at the soft look of awe in those brilliant, green eyes of his.

“Thank you, Ignis, seriously, for everything,” he said.

Prompto couldn’t really describe the expression that overcame his face other than blindsided. He was practically gaping at him for one long moment, to the point where he was just starting to get a little self-conscious, before Ignis had hurriedly glanced away, his free hand raising before his face as he cleared his throat awkwardly. There was a very distinct pinkness spreading up the length of his neck, and he couldn’t help but snicker a little at just how easily the once impenetrable man could get so flustered. 

“I- well, uh- it was truly hardly anything, Prompto,” Ignis said quickly, fiddling with his glasses, “though, if nothing else, I would like you to know that you don’t need to deal with these things alone, if you ever feel like this, you need only tell any of us, as your friends.”

Prompto jumped a little, eyes widening at the open invitation. It was something he hadn’t had the luxury of in years. How nice would it be? To have that again. A shoulder to cry on (some very large ones in this case). People with far more experience he could go to for advice. Hell, just people he could  _ be _ with. It all sounded far too wonderful. And yet, he could feel the anxious noise already building in his chest, fizzling like a broken television channel. 

_ Surely they wouldn’t want to deal with him and his baggage forever _ .

And yet, both Noctis’ words from earlier echoed back to him in almost the same instant. 

“ _ Prom, you’re just gonna have to trust us on this, _ y _ ou’re not a burden _ .”

He wanted to trust them. He had said he would. So he was going to. He gave the warm fingertip still settled beneath his hand a pat.

“I’ll have to keep that in mind then.”

Ignis blinked, then smiled that small, warm smile of his down at him again.

“I do hope that you will, we all want to be here for you, should you need it.”

Prompto jumped at that, mouth suddenly going a little dry at the thought of Noctis- of Gladio- finding out about him, about his past. Shame itched at him deep in his gut, yet he knew he just couldn’t tell either of them yet, not Gladio, and definitely not Noct. He couldn’t-  _ he wasn’t ready _ . He swallowed, forcing back the wave of anxiety the thought sent prickling up his spine, forcing his voice steady as he looked back up at Ignis.

“I- um- can you please not tell Noct about this?” Prompto murmured, furiously scrubbing the sleeve of his jacket across his eyes, drying up the last trails of dampness, “I don’t wanna make him uncomfortable.”

“It’s not for me to share,” Ignis said evenly, though his eyes had gone a little pinched at the edges again, “but please, at least trust me when I say that Noctis would never think less of you if you chose to.”

Prompto laughed a little breathlessly. “For once, that’s actually not what I’m worried about.”

Ignis arched an eyebrow gently, waiting.

“It’s just, I don’t wanna like, make him feel ashamed for not spending more time with his dad, y’know? Just cause I’ve got hangups-”

“They are not hangups,” Ignis said gently, “you’ve lived through something truly terrible, and were forced to keep all of that pain to yourself for so long.”

“Right,” Prompto said, scuffing his hand up the scruff of his neck, “but still-”

“It’s not for me to share,” Ignis repeated, “I give you my word and… I will have a think of what we may be able to do for Noctis and the Ki- his father, it’s not mine nor anyone else's place to attempt to force anything on them, but if there’s some small way we may help them spend more time together, well, I don’t see any harm in trying.”

Prompto sniffled and smiled, nowhere near as shaky as before. 

“Thank you, Ignis.”

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


The news came the very next day. 

The Crownsguard had finally got a solid lead on the men who had left the bomb, something about hair follicles found on the couch, fingerprints on the bomb casing and other strange ‘forensic’ stuff. In other words, just a lot of things that Prompto really had no idea about. But Noctis seemed excited by it at least, so he allowed himself to feel hesitantly optimistic.

“There are multiple teams of both Crownsguard and Kingsglaive units currently following different leads,” Ignis explained over breakfast, “there’s no surety yet that it is just a small group of people however, we will have to wait until if and when arrests are made to attempt to find that out.”

Prompto was trying to focus on what he was saying, really he was, but damn if it wasn’t a challenge. Partially for the fact that he honestly just couldn’t keep up with half of the things Ignis was talking about, but mostly because he found himself positively surrounded by more food than he had probably seen in his entire life right now and it was honestly a little overwhelming. There was just…  _ so much _ .

When Ignis had suggested they should all have a shared breakfast the next morning, both so he could update them all at once on the latest information he had and so that he himself could continue growing accustomed to both Ignis and Gladio’s presences, he had just assumed that they would all eat whatever they wanted, and he would just quietly stick to stealing small things off of Noct’s plate. 

Apparently though, Ignis had opted to order in what had to be close to every breakfast food in existence, spread it all out on the coffee table, and simply let everyone help themselves. There had been so much that he had scarcely been able to decide where to even look at first. Perfectly stacked piles of golden toast, flanked with rich, sunflower-yellow butter sat in ornate little bowls, charred rashers of crisp bacon, a pile of short, spiced sausages, perfectly cooked, sunny-side up eggs, stacks of steaming pancakes and pitchers of juice, milk, and a pot that, from the smell alone could only be filled with fresh coffee.

The utter astonishment must have shown on his face because a moment later Noctis had snickered and asked if he was ok.

No, had been the answer to that, not at all. And he honestly wasn’t sure if he was now either.

“Is there any guess on how long it’s gonna take?” Noctis mumbled, mouth still full, much to Ignis’s apparent distaste. Prompto turned his attention immediately back to Ignis, nibbling nervously on a crisp chunk of toast Noctis had let him break from a slice he had taken, alongside some surprisingly delicately slithered pieces of bacon, egg and sausage, all of it lain out in a small bowl that had previously held salt. 

“Nothing yet, I’m afraid, but I’m confident we will hear something soon.”

Surprisingly, it had been Gladio who had taken one look at his lost expression before moving to pour the previous contents into an empty cup, he was pretty sure he had been about to place it next to him, before he had seemingly thought better of it and handed it across for Noctis to work it out. He had felt kind of bad that he was grateful for that, but knowing his luck he would have spooked and bolted straight into the syrupy stack of pancakes. That might have been a level of embarrassment he never could have come back from.

“My father’s already called me for a meeting this afternoon,” Gladio piped up, stabbing at a sausage with his fork in a way that Prompto tried not to flinch at, “sounds like a whole lotta new protocols and drills in future, I’m pretty sure Cor and Monica have barely left his office since this all happened.”

Prompto had no idea who any of those people were, but the thought of Gladio’s dad was kind of terrifying in its own right (he didn’t really want to imagine a human  _ bigger _ than Gladio), so he stayed quiet, watching how Noct’s frown deepened at his words.

“How much more protocol are they talking about?” He said slowly. Gladio shot him a decidedly unimpressed look.

“Considering how close you came to being blown sky-high, I’m willing to bet a fair few.”

Prompto didn’t quite mask a wince that time. 

“Gladiolus,” Ignis said pointedly. Gladio sighed.

“Sorry,” he offered, “it’ll mostly just be safety precautions, new guard rotations and positions, stuff like that, but I won’t really know the extent of it til this afternoon, and until some actual arrests are made, we still don’t even know if this was the work of a few or an entire anti-crown group.”

Prompto nodded at the apology. He thought he understood most of that, sort of. Essentially, they had at least one of the bomb guys found out, and were currently in the process of finding him (maybe?) and then seeing if he could lead them to the other guy, and potentially other people who might have been involved. He was pretty sure he was getting all of that right. He definitely didn’t understand anything else they had said.

“You don’t honestly think it’s a whole anti-crown movement do you?” Noctis probed, his tone bored but the frail note of uncertainty unmistakably there, “I mean, I know there’s been unrest for a long while now, but an organised group striking out against the crown?”

“I don’t know, Noct,” Ignis said, voice tight, “we can only wait to find the answer, all I can say with certainty is, if it is an organised group, they didn’t expect you to survive, and the shock of that is something we can use to our advantage.”

Prompto swallowed, but his mouthful went down painful and slow. 

“Guess I’ve got my little Crownsguard here to thank for that.”

Prompto squeaked, almost choking. Gladio snorted, hiding a smile behind one giant fist.

“Highness,” Ignis tutted, “you shouldn’t tease your saviours.”

“I- uh, I really didn’t do all that much,” Prompto mumbled.

“Dude, I’m not even gonna argue that with you again.”

“But I-”

“Prom.”

Prompto slumped, fully aware that he was pouting just a bit. 

“Fine,” he mumbled. Noctis looked way too satisfied about it, but he wasn’t about to say anything more on it. It was kind of nice to be appreciated after all, even if it also made his cheeks heat like a damn oven.

“You must know Prompto,” Ignis said softly, drawing his eye easily, “what you did was something we may never truly be able to thank you for, you not only saved the life of the Crown Prince-” Noctis made a disgruntled face at that- “but also of our friend, and for that we will almost certainly never be able to repay you.”

Prompto felt his neck heat instantly, hot beneath the collar of his jacket, certain it showed on his face as he watched Gladio nod along with the man’s words.

“Yeah, right-” he scratched awkwardly at his nape- “I just kinda wish I could’ve done more back then to like, help with all of this stuff now, if I’d seen the guys faces properly or something, that would’ve at least been helpful, it’s too bad they were wearing masks.”

It took all of two seconds for the heavy silence that followed to make him regret saying that.

“Highness,” Ignis hissed. Noctis swallowed his mouthful almost painfully, looking slightly paler than usual.

“Uh, whoops?”

Prompto glanced worriedly between them.

“Ah, wh-what is it? Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Noctis said quickly, at the same time Gladio puffed up, big and towering-

“Hold the hell up, you actually  _ saw _ the bomb being planted, and there was more than one person doing it?!”

Prompto flinched, the hairs on the back of his neck shooting up like he had just pressed a chunk of ice to them.

“Gladio,” Ignis murmured, voice soft yet that single word sharp as a knife. Gladio slumped immediately, still alert but a tad less imposing. He flashed an apologetic look down at him.

“Um, y-yeah?” He tried, swallowing dryly, “I-uh- I thought you had all already figured that out though?”

“They had found forensic evidence on the device, it is true,” Ignis explained, shoulders in a tense, straight line, “but the investigators had no idea they were looking for more than one person, and plenty of the samples they took came back with our own DNA so progress has been tedious, they are still examining samples taken but from my understanding only one suspect has been traced from it.”

Prompto blinked up at him. He had… absolutely no idea what any of that meant. He felt the tell-tale burn of frustration, beginning to boil deep within his chest. He knew it wasn’t their fault, hell, it wasn’t even his, but he was really starting to get tired of understanding next to nothing about all these complex, enormous things going on all around him. It was all so bewildering yet overwhelming at the same time.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, cheeks heating with embarrassment, “I-um- I don’t understand anything you just said.”

Ignis’ eyes did that sad, pinched thing again, and it only made the heat in his face spread down his neck.

“Hey, don’t sweat it, Prom,” Noctis murmured, ever so gently nudging his shoulder with the back of his finger, “I barely understand it either.”

Against all the nasty feelings still bubbling away inside him, Prompto snorted.

“Yeah, but at least you understand what stuff like that even means, I’ve got no idea about anything.”

“Alright,” Gladio interrupted, expression slightly strained, “let’s stay focused here for a second, Tiny, can you tell us  _ exactly _ what you saw?”

Prompto swallowed, feeling more than a little chastised (a sentiment shared by Noctis if the glower he was leveling at his Shield was anything to go by) but forced his mind back. Back to that tense day in the apartment.

“Um, I think so, it all happened when I was trying to pack up the last of my stuff-”

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


He had no idea if his recounting of events changed anything, had no real idea how it could have, not without more people having to find out about him to know where all that witness information might have come from. But something definitely felt different. Like the entire building was buzzing with some kind of energy. Prompto had a sneaking suspicion Ignis must have worked that silver tongue of his, because something had changed. He wasn’t even sure how he knew that.

Not much else had really happened that day, for him at least. Ignis had left after breakfast, and Gladio had left not long after midday, halfway through a ‘video game’ Noctis had put on (he had been so enthralled that he had honestly almost missed the man leaving). He hadn’t returned that evening, and Ignis (returning with a platter of bowls filled with a peppery rice and slices of pale, flavourful meat that had made him dearly wish his stomach was way bigger) had said he was terribly busy with new assignments and training schedules from his father, whatever that meant. 

It wasn’t until just after lunch the next day that he returned, a new tiredness in his amber eyes and a distinct strain in his brow, but he didn’t seem any grouchier than usual, so Prompto had quietly forced the tension in his shoulders to drain away.  _ He wasn’t gonna do anything to him… _ at least, that was what he repeated in his head as the man closed the huge bedroom door behind him with an echoing  _ thunk _ , striding purposefully into the room.

Yet, when Gladio neared the couches he noticeably slowed, shuffling over to the armchair farthest from where he was sat on the glass top of the coffee table, settling there like the cushions were covered in eggshells. Prompto felt bad that he kind of appreciated it, hurriedly refocusing on the tools he was pulling from his belt before he could be caught staring. He was still just so…  _ enormous _ . He had thought Noctis was bad enough. Ignis even worse. But being near Gladio too long was still just overwhelming, like the weight of his shadow alone threatened to suffocate him. It wasn’t his fault, he knew it wasn’t. Gladio couldn’t help how he appeared to him. And he couldn’t help how his presence still made his shoulders tense and his stomach clench. 

But, he had made up his mind. If he could try and trust Noctis and Ignis, then he would try and trust Gladio too. It was only fair.

Speaking of Ignis, he turned his head just in time to catch him dropping down into the seat at Noct’s desk, a no doubt decent sized stack of folders thumping to the wood in the same moment (the amount of work this man seemed to have to do seemed downright diabolical). He shot a decidedly reassuring smile his way, his face only just visible over the back of the couch, before seeming to refocus, the rustle of papers and the familiar booting sound of his laptop tickling his ears. Prompto was sure he’d have no idea what he was up to even if Ignis sat there explaining it to him as he went.

“So Tiny-”

Prompto jumped, letting out a frankly embarrassing squeak, and snapped back around.

“Sorry,” Gladio said, eyes a little wide as he scratched at the stubble on his jaw, “didn’t mean to startle you-”

“You didn’t-” Prompto cut himself off, biting his lip, eyes darting away- “sorry, I know you weren’t trying to or anything-”

“Try dropping your voice a bit,” Noctis huffed, giving the larger man's shoulder a seemingly good-natured shove, “you’re always so damn loud.”

Gladio rolled his eyes. “Right, cause you’re always so quiet, Charmless-”

“No fighting, children,” Ignis called distractedly.

“Yes boss,” Gladio huffed, and Prompto almost did smile at that. Seemed all his hunches regarding Ignis were still pretty correct, all things considered.

“Hey,” Noctis piped up, flopped across the longer couch like a particularly gigantic, lazy cat (ugh, he was finding way too many similarities between Noct and cats), “we should play twenty questions, might help us all get to know each other better and, y’know, get more comfy I guess.”

Prompto paused where he had been trying, and failing, to tie a thin length of thread around the knobbed end of the polished fishbone he had just pulled from his emergency repair kit. He always had it on him, strapped to the back of his belt, after all you never knew when you’d need to quickly stitch something back together, and he was extremely grateful that his parents had drilled that into him from a young age, especially given his limited wardrobe right now. Which was why when he noticed a hole in the back of his undershirt (found clean and, kind of shockingly, folded beside him on his pillow when he had woken that morning) he had opted to fix it up as soon as possible.

“What’s that?” He asked, not missing how Noctis’ head was tilted curiously, no doubt struggling to make out exactly what he was fiddling with, given how tiny his tools were, but apparently too comfortable to move closer and look.

“It’s a game where you take turns asking questions back and forth, to find out stuff about each other.”

Prompto tipped his head towards him dubiously. “No offense, but that doesn’t really sound like much of a game, dude.”

“Well, people are usually drunk when they play it, so the questions usually get a little personal,” Gladio explained, rumbling voice noticeably softer than earlier.

“Oh.” He had never so much as tasted alcohol, so he couldn’t say he understood the appeal much more than before, the idea of being asked personal questions did make him shift uncomfortably though. He figured he could probably take some, but anything that pried too deeply…

“We don’t have to do personal stuff though,” Noctis said quickly, as though reading his thoughts, “if anything makes you uncomfortable you don’t have to answer, I figured it might just be a good way for all of us to get more comfortable around one another.”

Prompto nodded, finally tying off the thread around the end of his makeshift needle. “Well, I guess that could be fun, alright, I’m game.”

“Sweet,” Noctis said, grinning, “and hey, you can ask us pretty much whatever you want-” a pointed throat-clearing from Ignis- “uh, sort of, the whole royalty thing can be a bit stupid.”

Prompto blinked across the table at him in bemusement.

“Dude, who would I even tell?”

The room fell silent for a long moment, before Gladio of all people spoke.

“He’s kinda got a point.”

Ignis sighed. “Still, there is no sense taking such risks, it would be safer for everyone to stick with the protocol, at least for now.”

Prompto tensed, brow furrowing at the strange tone in the man’s voice. 

“Uh, what exactly do you mean when you say there’s a risk?”

“Nothing life-threatening, of course,” Ignis reassured, just a fraction of a second too fast, “it is simply that, well, as unlikely as it is, if anyone else were to discover you it would be a very bad look for all of us, and for you, if it came to light that you had knowledge about things a civilian shouldn’t, under normal circumstances.”

“Oh, right,” he said faintly, delicately jabbing the pad of his finger with the point of his needle, “um, h-how likely is it for that to happen exactly?”

“Very low,” Ignis said easily, “provided we all remain vigilant and don’t take any unnecessary risks.”

That last part seemed to be directed towards the pair on the couches.

“Right,” he mumbled.

“Don’t stress Tiny, we won’t let anyone else find out about you.”

Prompto glanced up shyly. He couldn’t help but doubt that, not least of all because it was Gladio saying it, but he at least appreciated that the behemoth of a man was trying, it kind of made him smile. Just the tiniest bit.

“Guess I’ll just have to take your word for it.”

Gladio nodded, seemingly satisfied. Noctis perked up, shooting him a reassuring look, titanic legs stretching out along the couch cushions, and Prompto didn’t miss the slightly ginger way his back lifted with the movement. But just as quickly, Noctis was relaxing again, not a trace of pain in his eyes.

“Hey Specs, you gonna play?”

Prompto only just caught the soft, thoughtful hum from over the back of the couch.

“I will merely mediate for now, but if I feel either of you are being too nosy I’ll step in.”

“Jeez Igs, have at least a little faith in us,” Gladio grumbled, scratching behind his ear.

“I have perfect faith,” Ignis replied haughtily, “that the both of you can get a bit too overeager at times.”

Noctis puffed out a breath, but wisely didn’t seem about to debate it. Ignis must have shot Gladio some kind of look because a moment later he visibly slumped, gaze dancing away in a way he could only describe as bashful, yet another word he never imagined he would have applied to  _ Gladio _ .

“Yeah yeah alright, I guess that’s fair.”

“Glad we’re on the same page,” Ignis said pleasantly. Prompto couldn’t help a small smile at that, hiding it in the collar of his shirt. The creak of the sofa drew his attention back over to Noctis, finding his eyes back on him, a spark of new eagerness in the deep blue of them.

“So, you wanna start us out, Prom?

“Uh, maybe you should go first,” he said, shuffling in place, kind of too embarrassed to let it show that his butt was starting to go to sleep on the hard glass, “might help give me some ideas of questions to ask.”

“Fair enough-” Noctis said easily, pushing himself up a bit- “alright, well, let’s start with something easy, what’s your favourite- uh, food?”

Prompto blinked.

“Wow, way to be original, Noct,” Gladio huffed. Noctis glowered back at him.

“I’m just trying to be considerate, dumbass, and besides-” he smirked knowingly- “the answer’s more for Iggy than it is for me.”

Prompto stammered over whatever he had been about to say, a sound like a hose with a kink stopping its waterflow leaving him instead.

“Noct,” Ignis hissed.

“What?” Noctis said lazily, “like you weren’t dying to know what all his preferences are.”

Ignis gave a sigh that could only be described as long-suffering.

“I also would have preferred to learn of them naturally, over time.”

“It’s fine, Ignis,” Prompto said, unable to suppress a disbelieving little giggle, it was kind of flattering, even if it was also still pretty overwhelming, “I really don’t mind, but uh, I- I really don’t expect you to do anything for me, let alone cook me stuff, I’m honestly just happy to have anything at all.”

There was a tiny beat of silence, almost unnoticeable. Almost.

“Be that as it may,” Ignis said smoothly, “cooking is something I enjoy, it is truly not a chore to me, and I find it the most enjoyable when I am able to create things for others.”

Though he couldn’t see his face, Prompto could hear the sincerity in his tone, and given how much he had seen (or at least smelled) the man cook back at the apartment, he was inclined to agree. Still, it was something he didn’t really imagine he would get used to any time soon.

“Ok, if you’re sure,” he stammered, “um, well, I don’t actually know the names of that many foods, at least not human ones, so I guess it’s mostly tastes? Uh, I guess Noct told you I like spicy stuff already- Oh! Green curry soup is one, that’s what it was called right?”

Noctis nodded, fond amusement in his eyes.

“Really?” Ignis said softly, the sound of the desk chair creaking as he apparently leant back in it, “that was a recipe I had fiddled with quite a while ago, Noctis didn’t take too much interest in it so I don’t think I made it again.”

Noctis made a face. “It wasn’t bad or anything,” he grumbled, “it actually tasted way better than I remembered, there’s just so many vegetables in it…”

Prompto snorted, breaking into a snicker at the outright pout on his giant friend’s face. He could practically hear Ignis’ eyes roll, and he didn’t have to imagine it for Gladio.

“Why am I not surprised? Well, regardless of his Highnesses picky tastes, spicy dishes are certainly something I can make more of, it would be nice to get to test them more often on a willing subject, any other things you enjoy, Prompto?”

Prompto nibbled at his lip in thought, pushing down the flare of warmth those words caused, deciding it was yet another thing he could examine later.

“Um, n-not really? I’m honestly not that picky, I kinda just like everything.”

For more times than he would care to admit, he hadn’t been able to be picky…

Ignis hummed thoughtfully. “Then we certainly have lots of things to try.”

“Uh, y-yeah,” Prompto said, a little dazed at that.

“Ok!” Noctis said, clapping his hands together, making him jolt, “your turn now, Prom.”

“Alright…” Prompto thought for a long moment, staring down at his needle and thread while he tried to think of a question that couldn’t come across as rude in some way, “uh, ok, what- this is probably gonna sound super dumb- but um, what exactly do you do at school?”

The blank stare he got in response, not just from Noctis but from Gladio as well, instantly made his cheeks heat.

“S-sorry, I’ve overheard you talk about it so often but-” he shifted to stare back down at his barely started sewing, hot shame creeping up his neck- “I uh, I honestly have no idea what it is.”

“Oh,” Gladio said. Ignis cleared his throat pointedly.

“Um, s-sorry,” Prompto stammered hurriedly.

“It is perfectly alright, Prompto,” Ignis soothed gently, “you’ve done nothing wrong-”

“Borrowers don’t have school?” Noctis butted right in, earning a tired look from the Advisor.

Prompto shook his head slowly. Although, it would probably have helped if he knew what it was.

“Damn, someone shrink me down, I wanna be a Borrower.”

“No you don’t!” Prompto squeaked.

“Highness,” Ignis scolded, his attention returning to Prompto a moment later, “school is merely an institution Noctis, and most youths in Lucis, attend in order to learn, he must go to classes on most weekdays, as I’m certain you are more than aware of.”

“To learn what?” Prompto probed, head tilted curiously.

“Well, everything really,” Noctis said, not looking particularly interested, “literature, maths, history, a ton of other things I wish I could skip out on.”

“You- you can just go and learn about stuff like that?”

That uncertain, sort of uncomfortable silence was back, only for a brief moment again, but it was more than enough for Prompto to catch a glimpse of something like sadness in Ignis’ eyes, in the furrow of Gladio’s brows and the flash of guilt in the line of Noct’s lips. But, just as quickly, it was gone.

“Yeah, for most of my young life, it’s compulsory for pretty much all kids to go to school, but trust me, half the time it’s nowhere near as interesting as you might think.”

“Oh?” Prompto pressed, not really sure how learning could be uninteresting.

“Yeah, well, teachers tend to like to give out loads of boring assignments and essays and tests, hard to be excited about learning stuff when half the time you’re stressed about all of that.”

Prompto didn’t know what half of that was.

“Oh, I guess I can understand that.” 

Noctis shrugged, a sly look overtaking his face. Prompto tried not to let his unease show too much, refocusing instead on his repair work, finally pressing his needle through the fabric of his shirt.

“Maybe you should tag along some day-”

Prompto didn’t have to say no to that, Ignis beat him to it.

“Do  _ not _ get any ideas, Noct,” he said slowly, dangerously, “pulling a stunt like that is just asking for something awful to happen.”

Prompto couldn’t help but agree with that, though… he couldn’t deny a part of him that perked in curious excitement at the thought. It was incredibly intriguing. How many new things would he get to learn about? Things he had never even heard of before? He was only coming to realise just how much that was. It seemed there was a huge world out there, he wasn’t sure if that was thrilling or terrifying.

“Kid kinda looks like he’d be keen.”

Gladio’s rumbling voice made him jolt out of his head, swallowing when he noticed all eyes were back on him, Ignis’s a little strained again.

“U-uh, maybe not,” Prompto said weakly, “it sounds- it sounds like it’d be really interesting, and I do really want to learn more about all the stuff I don’t know about, which is pretty much everything, but- uh- not at the risk of putting my life in danger if I can help it.”

“A very reasonable response,” Ignis said, shooting another pointed look in Gladio’s direction, “and besides, I am certain that Noctis, as well as Gladio and I, would all be very happy to help you learn about anything you might be interested about.”

“Wow, really? It wouldn’t be too much trouble?” 

Ignis snorted, smiling kindly. “Hardly, Prompto, most information is merely an internet search away in this day and age in any case.”

“Oh, right-” he had been steadily learning just how true that was over the past week or so now- “well, thank you!”

“You’re most welcome,” Ignis said, waving him away gently. Prompto ducked his head, trying to hide the shaky smile he could feel still worming its way across his lips. He coughed quietly into the collar of his jacket, trying to mask the warmth flooding his chest, before quickly turning back towards Noct.

“Um, I guess it’s your turn again, right?”

“Oh yeah,” Noctis said, perking up, gaze flickering across to Gladio, the man’s eyes still hazed with thought, “you wanna have a go, Big Guy?”

Prompto’s eyes flicked back up, an involuntary prickling of unease sliding up the back of his neck. Gladio’s gaze met his for the briefest moment, enough to see the hesitance in his amber eyes, before he looked away again. 

“I uh, I haven’t got anything off the top of my head, you go ahead, maybe I’ll have one next round.”

“Huh? Well, ok, if you’re sure.”

Prompto released his breath.

“So Prom, what were some of the places you lived in before moving into my place?” Noctis asked. Ignis must have shot him a sharp look over the back of the couch. Prompto glanced up from his wonky stitching, head tilting as his mind was tugged back, back-  _ too far _ .

“Uh-” he said, jolting as he realised he had been quiet for a bit too long, ultimately deciding to skirt around the obvious point there of where he had even come from, “well, there were a lot of places I stopped in, but in all the places before yours I never stayed more than a week or so, something always came up to make me move on, look for a better place y’know?”

“Like what?” Gladio probed. Prompto tried not to make it obvious how his eyes darted back to his stitches, tugging his makeshift needle through the fabric.

“Uh, well, y’know- dogs, cats, kids, some places were way too loud, or way too crowded, one place smelled strange and it kinda made my head feel weird.”

Ignis made an odd sound. It seemed to be a talent of his.

“It’s pretty important to find places we can settle safely in, or, well, as safe as possible, I mean really nowhere is ever completely safe for us, but you gotta just make the best of it, y’know? That’s part of why your apartment ended up being so good, it was way up high and you had no pets, it was pretty messy, at least at first, though when I first moved in I did only think one person lived there. That turned out to be wrong but it was still easily the best place I had stopped since I left my old home.”

The room fell into a heavy silence for a long moment, as though the air had thickened to honey.

“That is-” he paused, searching for the right words- “certainly a lot.”

Prompto couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I suppose to you it is, it wasn’t all that bad though, it was pretty cool, some of the things I saw while I was moving, there was so much stuff I had never seen before.”

Ignis hummed softly, and Prompto had the feeling he would have said something more had Noctis not barreled in.

“Wait, why did you even leave your last home in the first place?”

Prompto felt his entire body seize up in an instant, a cold chill sweeping up the length of his spine. He had hoped- had thought Noct wouldn’t go there. He couldn’t… he didn’t want to say it, he couldn’t drag that all out in front of Noctis.  _ In front of Gladio _ . 

“Noct,” Ignis started.

“What? I- oh, oh shit uh- you don’t have to answer that-”

“N-no it’s-” Prompto swallowed, mind scrambling about for a reason he could give that wasn’t… that- “it’s fine, um, basically I got seen by the humans there, and uh, they weren’t as forgiving about it as you guys ended up being, was safer just to leave.”

He felt a twinge of guilt at the small lie, especially with the sad, sympathetic looks it instantly garnered. He forced himself not to glance back at Ignis, far too keenly aware that he had to know he was lying. The knot in his gut did at least loosen when it became clear that the man wasn’t about to speak up and expose him though.

“That’s awful,” Noctis hesitated, concern still clear in his eyes, “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Prompto shrugged. 

“What was your old place like? Were you in an apartment like Noct’s?” Gladio piped up, voice quiet and measured, like he was trying to steer things somewhere more positive without just blatantly changing topics entirely.

Prompto shook his head cautiously. “No, it was a big house, y’know, on the ground and not in a big building like yours is.”

“Oh?” Noctis said, still sounding unsure of what to say or where to press, “what was it like?”

Prompto hesitated, brow furrowing, he had never shared memories of his childhood with anyone before, had never had anyone to share them with. He had apparently paused too long because Gladio’s rumbling voice startled him back to reality.

“You don’t have to tell us anything if you don’t want to-”

“There was a garden, attached to the house I... we used to live in,” he started, licking his suddenly dry lips and forcing himself to continue, “it was really big, or, maybe it wasn’t, I guess everything is to me anyway right? Um, I remember it was really beautiful, the humans that owned the place cared for it a lot, and it was always full of birds, that was how my family got our sparrows.”

“Hold on,” Gladio cut in, “got your… sparrows?”

Prompto blinked up at him, not sure what was confusing about that. On the other couch Noctis smirked, both of them apparently flying right over the allusions to his parents, or maybe just letting it slide by. Either way he gratefully seized the change in the tide of conversation.

“Uh, y’know,” Prompto tried, “sparrows? As in the birds?”

“Yeah I know what a sparrow is,” Gladio said, “but, what do you mean by  _ your _ sparrows? Don’t tell me you used to farm their eggs or something.”

Prompto scrunched his face in disgust. “Ew, man of course not, besides, even one sparrow egg would’ve been way too big for us to eat alone-”

“I mean, eggs are eggs,” Noctis threw in.

“-nah, we mainly used them as mounts.”

The silence that descended was so thick that for one brief moment he thought someone must have slapped a bowl or something over him again. Yet, when he glanced up, there was nothing above him, just the bemused stillness of Gladio and Ignis, and a knowing smirk from Noctis.

“You what?” Gladio said slowly.

“He said he can ride birds around like chocobos, big guy,” Noctis repeated, nonchalance dripping from his voice and his long, lounging form, “try and keep up here.”

“Well, I mean, I’ve only ever ridden sparrows around, I’ve never actually tried with other birds,” Prompto mumbled, glancing back and forth between them.

Gladio stared back at him, before his fiery eyes narrowed at Noctis.

“You already knew then I take it?”

Noctis’ grin grew sharper. “Best friend privileges.”

Prompto felt his cheeks flush, ducking his chin down beneath the collar of his jacket to hide his smile again.

Gladio snorted, shaking his head lightly. “I don’t even know if I can believe that, as if this whole thing wasn’t surreal enough.”

Prompto tilted his head, a disbelieving grin tugging at his lips. “Wait… you didn’t seriously think I climbed all the way to the top floor of that giant building on my own, did you?”

“Well I sure as hell didn’t think you  _ flew _ ,” Gladio grumbled. Prompto couldn’t quite stifle a laugh at his dumbfounded expression.

“Is it really that shocking? A couple of weeks ago you never would have thought a person like me could even exist.”

Gladio huffed, dipping his head in acceptance of that fact. “True enough, but still-”

“You... can truly fly on the backs of birds?” Ignis finally piped up, apparently having found his voice again. Prompto smiled, twisting his head to catch the man leaning over the back of the couch, expression somewhere between befuddlement and awe.

“Well, yeah?” He looked back down to his thread shyly, “my parents taught me.”

Ignis blinked behind his glasses, lips parting slightly. Noctis leaned forward eagerly.

“Dude, you’ve gotta show us sometime! I wanna see that barrel roll trick you told me about.”

Ignis made a strained sound not too dissimilar to an old water pipe rattling to life somewhere behind him. Prompto felt his lips pull down in a frown before he even registered the sadness and regret welling inside him.

“I would, dude, but- well-” he dragged his hand through his hair- “I kinda… lost my bird I guess.”

“Oh,” Noctis said faintly, and when he glanced up he was startled to find guilt in his eyes, “shit, I’m sorry.”

It took a moment for Prompto to realise what he meant. 

“Oh, oh no not like that! I mean like, I kinda stopped seeing him, feeding him and like, reaffirming the bond we had when I moved into your building, it was way too risky to sneak out onto the balcony to try, and it’s not like there’s a garden or anything up there to tempt sparrows to stay-” he paused, a hollowness all but yawning open in his chest, gaze turning down to the polished glass of the table- “after a while... I guess he just moved on without me.”

For a long moment, the room was silent. Prompto  _ felt _ more than heard Gladio shift in his seat.

“Well, I feel like it wouldn’t take much convincing to get Iggy to let us put some plants and bird feeders out on the balcony.”

Prompto’s head snapped up so fast he was almost scared his head would start spinning with the nausea of his fever again.

“I don’t imagine it would take too much work,” Ignis said, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, “provided we get plants suitable for such an environment.”

Prompto stared openly, his stomach doing an odd flip in his middle. “You- you’d really do that?”

Noctis shot him a bemused look. “Hell yeah, why not?”

Prompto felt his lips pull into a tremulous smile, not sure if he trusted himself to speak. 

“Reckon your bird could come back?” Noctis said, glancing somewhat awkwardly towards Ignis. Prompto shook his head, smiling.

“I don’t know, but I guess anything’s possible, ‘specially after these last couple of weeks.”

“Quite,” Ignis agreed softly, and he could hear the gentle smile in his voice.

“Heh, maybe we could sneak him into the garden centre with us,” Gladio suggested. Prompto squeaked.

“Oh, you could hide in one of our pockets,” Noctis said, grinning, “then you could choose what plants you like.”

Prompto bit down on whatever protest he was already building, head tilting as he really thought on that. He got to  _ choose  _ his own plants?

“Absolutely not,” Ignis said flatly, pinning both with an unamused look, “we will not be putting Prompto at such a risk, least of all without his consent.”

Noctis pouted. 

“We wouldn’t let anything happen to him,” he mumbled, “what do you say, Prom? Wanna go on an adventure?”

Prompto gave an uncertain smile. “Uh, m-maybe someday.”

“Please don’t feel pressured by them, Prompto,” Ignis said kindly, shooting one last look in the Prince’s direction.

“It’s alright,” Prompto said, “it does sound kinda cool, but uh, I have no idea how we’d do that without me being seen, or worse.”

“Same way I snuck you to the library, dude,” Noctis said easily, “you can just hide in one of our pockets and we can take you out when the coast is clear.”

“Noctis,” Ignis scolded, nose wrinkling with distaste, making his glasses shift up his face a little, “you can’t just shove poor Prompto in your pocket whenever you wish-”

“Well I’m not gonna force him to, obviously!”

“He really did make sure I was fully onboard before taking me to the library,” Prompto said quickly, “Noct didn’t force me into anything, honest!”

Ignis sighed, shooting Noctis an apologetic look. “I do know his Highness wouldn’t intentionally do anything like that, but I do also know that you can get a little carried away, Noct-”

Noctis huffed, rolling his eyes, but didn’t try to argue it.

“-I would just rather you didn’t have to be shoved away like that at all, it just feels… wrong.”

Prompto shrugged helplessly. “Well, it’s probably better than being out in the open, least I know it’s probably safe there, I mean, it seemed to work last time, right? And it wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be.”

“You did almost fall asleep in there on the way back,” Noctis said, sounding almost proud of that fact. 

“No I didn’t!”

“No shame dude,” Noctis said, grinning, “I’d absolutely do the same if I was in your place.”

Gladio snorted. 

“That’s not saying much, you could probably fall asleep anywhere.”

Noctis waved him away.

“Yeah yeah, the point is it worked last time, and besides-” he turned back to Prompto- “I’m sure you’re dying to get out and get some fresh air right?”

Prompto wrinkled his nose, sniffing faintly.  _ What was wrong with the air in here? _

“Um, I guess? I haven’t really been outside properly in a long time anyway,” Prompto mused, “it’s kinda hard to when you’re this small at twenty stories up, y’know? Though, I do really miss being able to go out to the garden from my old place sometimes, exploring there was always fun, so I guess it’d be pretty nice to see some new places eventually.”

“Hold on,” Noctis said, achingly slow, voice utterly devoid of that soft, warm inflection he had steadily been growing accustomed to, “Prom, you said you’d been living in my apartment for almost three years..”

Prompto bristled, feeling his cheeks heating up again. “Y-yeah?”

“My place doesn’t have a garden, or even a yard.”

“Um, no?”

Noctis looked slightly horrified.

“Prom… have you not gone outside in three years?”

Gladio’s head snapped back towards him, and he didn’t have to look to know Ignis was doing the exact same. He could feel his fretful gaze on him almost like a solid weight.

“Wait, what?” Gladio blurted, brows furrowing further with every passing second. He could just about feel the rumblings of more of those odd, concerned noises coming from Ignis’ direction.

“Wait wait! Yes of course I’ve been outside in all that time! I can get out onto the balcony through a loose piece of grout in the wall, and when the weather’s warm it’s nice to just go and sit out there-”

He decided against admitting how hawks were a very real concern and winter weather was enough to get him shivering in less than a minute.

“-I can always get into most of the neighbouring apartments too, and the old lady in the apartment below yours has at least some plants on her balcony to hide in, so yeah, of course I can get outside when I need to.”

He definitely wasn’t going to mention that he had only dared try that a handful of times, given the only way he could get out there was when the door was left open and the lady herself was passed out snoring in front of the TV. But damn the nostalgic lure of those few plants had been far too hard to resist when he had.

Noctis shot up from his now stiff sprawl, face set in grim determination.

“Alright, hold on, rest of the game’s on hold, we’ve gotta pay a visit to the gardens right now.”

Prompto perked curiously, almost perfectly in time with how Ignis’ shoulders set in a tense line.

“Noct-” he began.

“No one’s gonna be visiting them right now, the entire Citadel’s in lockdown,” Noctis said quickly, charging on through the disapproving look Ignis was shooting him, “now would be the perfect time to take him, there’s never gonna be less people there than there is right now, and besides, we’d all be with him the whole time.”

“I have a meeting to attend in less than an hour,” Ignis pointed out flatly.

“Right, well Gladio and I will still be with him! We won’t let anything bad happen, right Gladio?”

Poor Gladio barely even got the chance to open his mouth. Ignis sighed, shaking his head hopelessly.

“And have you perhaps thought to ask Prompto himself if he even wants to do this?”

All at once, Noctis jerked back from where he had been leaning forward, like he had smacked into a solid wall. His gaze flitted back to him guiltily.

“Shit, Prom I- I didn’t mean to just assume, I mean, I just figured you’d want to go outside again and-”

“Dude, it’s fine, really,” Prompto said quickly, narrowly avoiding stabbing himself with his needle in his haste, though at the very least he was on the last of his stitches, so there wasn’t that much left to potentially screw up, “I really do appreciate that you care that much at all man, and, I mean, I’m not gonna lie and say that that doesn’t sound like it’d be amazing.”

Honestly, he had talked more about his childhood home in this one day than in the last three years of his life combined, and while that familiar pit in his chest had definitely yawned open the longer he thought on it, it wasn’t filled with the despair and loss he normally felt. Those were still there certainly, he doubted they would ever truly go away, but there was also a warmth and fondness that stirred in his gut the more of those happy memories he shared. Like some deep itch inside of him was finally being scratched.

“Then we should go!” Noctis said, perking right back up again, “Gladio and I’ll be with you the whole time, between us we’ll definitely spot anyone coming, not that anyone really even visits the gardens these days.”

“How would you know?” Gladio grumbled.

“Nyx has been on guard patrols this week,” Noctis said, though Prompto had absolutely no idea who he was talking about, “says it’s starting to depress him how empty it is down there.”

“They got the hero himself on patrol duty?” Gladio said, one eyebrow cocking in amusement, “what’d he do to piss off Drautos this time?”

“Could we perhaps stay on topic here? I do have to leave shortly,” Ignis said wearily, still leant on his elbows over the back of the couch, sparing him a small, worried glance. Finally, he released a tired breath. “I can hardly say no outright, the choice is Prompto’s.”

All eyes turned back to him expectantly.

“Wait, right now?” He squeaked, fumbling his shirt and needle. Gladio shrugged his massive shoulders.

“Not like we’re doing much the rest of the afternoon, except for Iggy.”

Ignis hummed softly. “You don’t have to go along with this if you don’t want to, Prompto.”

“Oh, no I- I’d honestly really love to, like really  _ really _ love to, I just- I dunno, guess I still can’t help being a bit nervous?”

Ignis nodded. “That is perfectly understandable-”

“I mean, it worked fine last time,” Noctis broke in.

“I almost got caught twice!”

“Almost.”

Prompto rolled his eyes.

“Besides, I’ve got practice now, and Gladio’s gonna be there too, between us no one’s gonna get anywhere near you.”

He glanced warily towards Gladio. The towering man shot him a thumbs up, and honestly, he couldn’t really imagine many humans that would want to mess with a guy Gladio’s size.

“Well, if you’re sure there’s not gonna be many other humans there-” he tied off the last stitch, pleased to see the hole was now completely pulled closed, if a little messily- “then why not? I’d love to go.”

“Hell yeah!” Noctis clamored, shoving a little stiffly to his feet, “lemme just go grab my jacket-”

Prompto watched in bemusement as his giant friend bounded off around the couch, followed almost immediately by a quietly fretting Ignis, the heavy vibrations of their steps rattling through his body. He couldn’t hold back a small smile of amusement, still a little amazed at the reactions his tiny self could garner in such immense people. It was humbling, but also just kind of damn funny.

His stomach did a little flip inside of him, the thought finally seeming to settle of what he was about to do. He was going outside. Not the boring, sub-par outside that he had swallowed without complaint over the last couple of years. This wasn’t just some windblown tiles and a few stubborn potted plants. This was going to be real. A real garden again.  _ Maybe there would even be sparrows _ .

Something immense moved in the corner of his eye and he felt his heart lurch up into his throat.

Prompto shot backwards like a cat was making a lunge for him, even as his brain realised what it really was. Guilt immediately slammed into the front of his chest like a bird against a window. Gladio was looking down at him with wide, startled eyes, the gleaming amber of them swiftly turning dim as something like regret filled them.

“Shit, sorry,” he murmured, the hand he had been  _ offering _ jerking lightly away, before he pulled it back to himself entirely, “I- uh, I wasn’t gonna grab you or anything…”

“I- I know,” Prompto squeaked, neck blazing with shame at the fact that his heart was still hammering desperately against his ribs, “I’m- I’m so-”

“You don’t have to apologize, kid,” Gladio said easily, doing his best to smile reassuringly, “I’d probably feel the same if I was in your shoes, don’t worry about it, really.”

Prompto gnawed on his lip until it hurt, wishing he knew what to say like Ignis always seemed to.

“I’ll uh- I’ll just let Noct give you a lift.”

“Gladio-”

“-Would you relax Specs? We’re not gonna let anything happen to hi- hey, shit, what happened?”

Prompto jerked, jaw working wordlessly. Gladio straightened up smoothly, the hand he had offered him rising to scratch awkwardly at his stubble.

“It was my fault, I uh, I moved too fast and spooked him, sorry again, Prom.”

“I-It’s fine,” Prompto said faintly, still willing his heart to slow back to a normal pace, “um, I’m sorry too, for freaking out on you like that.”

Gladio waved him off again. “It’s fine, kid, seriously don’t sweat it.”

“O-ok.”

Noctis looked back and forth between them, his eyes finally narrowing towards Gladio.

“Could you not scare him for more than five minutes?”

Gladio began to bristle.

“It really wasn’t his fault,” Prompto said quickly, shoving his sewing aside and stumbling to his feet, “I just wasn’t expecting him and overreacted, he didn’t do anything wrong.”

“You didn’t overreact, Prom,” Gladio rumbled, shifting on his thick, treelike legs, “I shouldn’t have come up on you like that, not without making sure you knew I was there.”

“To be fair, I have no idea how I missed you.”

Gladio snorted, breaking off into an actual laugh a moment later. It took him a long second to realise there was another person chuckling along with them.

“Regardless of whether it was intentional or not,” Ignis said gently, still smiling, “do take a bit more care please, Gladio, I don’t want Prompto startling right off the table if we can help it.”

“I wasn’t that scared!”

Noctis blatantly hid a snicker behind his hand, rounding the couch again to crouch down beside him, even that still not quite enough to put them on eye level.

“It’s alright, I used to be scared of Gladio’s face too-” Gladio huffed deeply, shoving his hands in his hoodie pockets as he ambled in the direction of the bedroom doors, only to be swiftly intercepted by Ignis, arms filled with files again and expression still a little frayed- “I don’t mind you riding with me though, you ready to go?”

Prompto perked at that, the thought of a warm afternoon spent in an actual garden once again sending his gut into excited somersaults.

“If you’re both sure it’s not a bother…”

“Hey, I’m the one that offered in the first place,” Noctis reminded patiently, “besides, it  _ would _ be nice to get out of this room.”

Prompto nodded, unable to stop the corners of his lips from beginning to curl up.

“Then hell yeah, let’s do it!”

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


To Prompto’s growing embarrassment, he truly did find himself beginning to grow sleepy barely five minutes into the journey. Noct’s jacket pocket was just too comfortable, way more than it should have been given the circumstances. But the warmth of that titanic body seeped through the soft fabric like liquid, fending off the winter chill Noctis had grumbled about the moment they had stepped outside, and the sweet mix of sharp detergent and soft lavender set the ever-jittery part of his brain oddly at ease.

The gentle conversation that flowed between Noctis and Gladio certainly helped too, so much better than the pointed remarks and irritated silences from before. Despite the misgivings he still personally had towards Gladio, he couldn’t help but feel relief that he and Noctis had made up, no matter how terrified he might have been of one of them, he hadn’t wanted their friendship deteriorating. Not over him.

“Yo Tiny, you doing alright in there?”

Gladio’s voice startled him, yet he knew he must have only been talking to him because there was no one else around, so he shuffled himself upwards a little more to answer, trying to resist the temptation to fully recline into the cushy lining.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he called back, “are we nearly there?”

“Almost,” Gladio confirmed, and he could almost see him nodding, “we should just take a minute when we get there to make sure it’s deserted though.”

“Yeah, that makes sense, thanks,” Prompto said, stifling a yawn. It really was way to comfy in here.

Noctis snickered softly, the sound deep and thrumming inside his chest. “Told ya he’d start to fall asleep,” he mock-whispered.

“I’m not falling asleep,” Prompto hissed, throwing a basically useless punch back at him. 

Noctis actually laughed at that, the sound pounding through his body, though not in a painful way.

“Gladio,” he whined, “Prom hit me!”

For a brief moment, Prompto felt his chest squeeze with instinctual fear. He was at least ninety-six percent sure that Noct was just joking around, but-

Gladio snorted. “I’m not surprised, he’s way tougher than you, Charmless.”

“Oi!”

Prompto felt his cheeks heat. “I uh- I highly doubt that,” he mumbled, not really expecting Gladio to hear.

“Sure you are, kid,” he replied, “you haul yourself around everywhere despite your size, you’re kinda scarily self-sufficient, and hell, you held your own pretty good against me, not many who can say they’ve stabbed me, and you do it all without whining like the Princeling here.”

“What is this, bully Noctis week or something?” Noctis grumbled. Prompto swallowed, trying not to fidget too much, knowing Noctis would probably feel it.

“Um- I guess- I guess there is that,” he stammered, heat creeping down to his neck at the memory that yep,  _ dear gods he really had stabbed him with a pin hadn’t he? _ \- “I’m- uh- I’m really sorry for that, by the way.”

Both Gladio and Noctis fell silent for a long moment, and Prompto got the impression they were having one of those silent conversations again, not that he could see to check.

“Eh, I deserved it,” Gladio said, “and besides, it was pretty damn impressive.”

Noctis shushed them both.

“We’re almost there, just keep quiet while we make sure no one’s around, alright Prom?”

“Got it,” Prompto murmured, almost completely missing the soft touch from the other side of the fabric wall. Distantly, he could hear the faint melody of bird song, the softest whispering of wind through leaves. His heart began to pick up the pace inside his chest.

Something stirred in his gut, a feeling he hadn’t felt in years, or perhaps had simply stamped it down so long that it had grown into nothing but a faint memory. Now, it buzzed in the back of his brain, tingled in the tips of his fingers, coiled wildly in the pit of his belly. 

Through the manufactured scent of lavender came the faint smell of the world outside, torn leaves and kicked up dirt, roots ripped from the earth and the sweet promise of flowers on the verge of opening. It felt like his childhood had just slapped him in the face. Distantly, he thought he could just catch the sound of fast flowing water, and his heart only hammered faster. He strained to catch it under the sounds of rustling fabric and Noct’s steady heartbeat, but he couldn’t decide whether it was some type of river or a fountain. Either way, he had never seen a real one before, and the thought sent a thrill through him. Noct’s rumbling voice drew him out of the thick swirl of emotions building inside him.

“See? Told ya it’d be deserted.”

“You weren’t wrong,” Gladio conceded, “but that doesn’t mean we should let our guard down, make sure you keep your ears open in case anyone comes, no napping on the job.”

“Yeah yeah, I’m on it, just make sure you are too.”

“I’m always on it, Charmless.”

He could practically hear Noct’s eyes rolling, before he felt another soft touch from outside, shifting downwards in a gentle stroke.

“Alright Prom, you can come out now.” 

Prompto wriggled upwards, breath catching in his throat as the smell of fresh air and earthy mulch only grew stronger, tickling some long buried instinct or  _ something _ within him. Large fingers carefully slipped into the pocket with him, gently curling around him before tugging him up and out. 

It took a few moments to blink past the harsh glare of the sun, but when he did and could finally see the endless gardens spread out all around them he felt his jaw drop.

“ _ Oh _ ,” he heard himself breathe.

It might well have been the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life.

He felt himself slump back in his friend’s palm, dazedly realising he had caught himself on his arms, but unable to tear his eyes away from the veritable  _ explosion _ of colour all around him.

Green. Green of every hue and tint stretched in every direction, stark against the murky white of marbled stone lining the garden beds, forming neat steps and walls. Statues of humans and beasts were scattered across the immense space, some rearing from a sea of leaves, as though they were playing a silent game of hide and seek. He recognised the broad, snarling head of a behemoth protruding from beneath a canopy of wide, emerald-green fronds, gaping maw stained dark from the stream of crystalline water erupting from its throat, pooling into a pond that ran off into a series of small waterfalls, splitting off into irrigation streams that ran off all throughout the garden. The tinkling of fresh water filled the air like bells.

The promising chill of winter had stripped most of the flowers from their stems, yet there was still a scattering of brilliant blue, pink and yellow buds decorating some of the last of the fresh growth. Fraying petals decorated the grass and stone far below in scattered carpets, drifting lazily in the afternoon breeze.

And yet, perhaps what struck him the hardest; there was the sound of birdsong in the air. Almost immediately, he felt dampness building in the corners of his eyes.

“Wow,” he heard himself breathe.

“You… like it?” Noctis checked softly, the sheer uncertainty in his voice almost making him laugh.

“Are you kidding? This place is amazing!-” It felt like he couldn’t tear his eyes away from it all, like if he blinked it would all disappear, and he would find himself back inside the dusty, drafty walls again- “I just- I don’t know what to say, I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life.”

“Is it like your old garden?”

Prompto shook his head, smiling. “No, it’s completely different, but it’s good, really good.”

He felt more than saw his friend nod. With a start, he realised he had completely lost track of Gladio, only just noticing his complete silence. When he glanced about, hoping he didn’t look too feverish, he found him seated on one of the low walls nearby, trying and failing to look like he hadn’t been watching them. Catching his eye, Gladio shot him a decidedly reassuring smile and a thumbs up, before turning to scan the surrounding garden, keeping a diligent watch just like he had promised.

Prompto felt a small part of him relax, whether at the giant of a man’s apparent dedication to the task or at the fact that he wasn’t going to be shadowing them everywhere, he wasn’t really sure. He tried not to let the guilt creep in too much at that thought. He shook himself lightly, refocusing back into the present, an incredibly easy task given just how much there was to explore all around him. First things first though-

“Noct? Can you put me down in one of the gardens?” 

He found his voice came out a lot softer than he meant, still more than a little dazed by it all, but Noctis still seemed to hear him.

“Huh? Oh, yeah sure, you won’t get lost will you?”

Prompto laughed, the sound just the slightest bit wet.

“Nah dude, and even if I do, you’re pretty hard to miss, so I’m sure I’ll find my way back.”

Noctis lingered for a moment longer, fingers twitching closer around him just a fraction, before he slowly nodded.

“Ok,” he said, a little too easily, then, “just- just be careful alright? I don’t wanna have to cut down half a bush if you get stuck.”

He was trying for a joking tone, but the real concern still bled through into his words, but it only made his chest warm. He laughed despite himself, shaking his head softly.

“Dude, I’ve been doing this since I was born, I’m not gonna get stuck.”

“Right,” Noctis said slowly. Prompto leaned back in his palm, smiling as he reached out to pat his thumb reassuringly.

“It’ll be fine, Noct, I promise.”

Noctis blinked, jerking back a little in realisation.

“R-right, sorry Prom, I know you’re not like, completely helpless or anything, I just-”

“Noct-” he tapped his thumb again, a lopsided grin pulling across his face- “you really think I’m about to get offended at someone being worried about me-” he ducked his head, cheeks heating up- “it’s really nice…”

It was Noctis’ turn to look embarrassed, his cheeks quickly turning a faint pink while his stormy eyes seemed to flick anywhere but him.

“Still,” he mumbled, “I really gotta stop hovering, huh? I mean, you’re right, you’ve been doing just fine without us for ages, I know you can take care of yourself-” he snorted softly- “can probably do it way better than I can honestly.”

“I don’t think there’s any ‘probably’ about that, dude.”

“Jerk,” Noctis huffed, delicately prodding him in the side with a fingertip. Prompto snickered, slapping the offending digit away. Noctis chuckled, the worry in his eyes replaced with a quiet mirth, before he released a soft breath.

“Alright dude-” he moved with purpose towards the nearest garden, the walls draped in heavy swathes of crawling ivy and Prompto felt his heart pick up all over again- “uh, I guess, just shout if you need anything?”

Prompto giggled, leaping to the cool stone the moment he was close enough.

“Geez man, you make it sound like I’m going off on some long journey, you know I’m only gonna go explore in some bushes for a bit right?”

Noctis rolled his eyes, but he could see he was trying to hold back a smile.

“Yeah yeah, go have your fix already, I can tell you’re dying to get in there.”

Prompto laughed, shaking his head. “I really, really am,” he said softly.

Noctis tilted his head, smiling gently. 

“Go on then-” he gave an over-dramatic sigh- “I’ll just go hang out with Gladio, I guess.”

“Try not to fight with him again, alright?” Prompto said, “I know he’s trying really hard.”

Noctis shook his head, smiling. “We won’t, don’t worry.”

With one final moment of hesitation, and a small nod, he turned and stiffly walked back towards Gladio, still well within earshot if anything were to happen, but still affording him some level of privacy as he finally turned to stare into the cool depths of the undergrowth.

With a small, excited breath, he stepped forward and leapt down off the lip of the wall, down into the dirt below. Perhaps it sounded cliche, but it truly was like stepping into another world. 

The chill was noticeably more biting beneath the cover of the plants, not nearly enough to make him uncomfortable, but enough to have him fluffing his jacket a little closer around him, still not having the undershirt that would normally keep it out entirely. The dim light didn’t phase him in the least, rather it was almost a relief after the sudden exposure of being released from Noct’s pocket. Prompto reached up, trailing his fingers across the silky, emerald underbellies of the round leaves above him, grinning until his cheeks hurt. It was all flooding back like a dam inside him had broken, and everything new he found, every half-familiar smell and touch, only made it all burst forth faster. 

It wasn’t like home- his old home- but it was familiar on some level he couldn’t even begin to describe. It stirred in his blood and thrummed in his bones, made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and tingled all the way down to his toes. The itch had returned behind his eyes, and this time he let it leak out and down his cheeks in molten streams. It didn’t come in a rush, nor was the emotion that he finally let crash over his shoulders so overwhelming that it knocked him off his feet. Rather it came slow, almost gentle, like a tide rolling in and over, sweeping through him until his eyes had dried once more and he could still feel himself smiling.

He dried his cheeks on his sleeve, choking out a watery giggle, feeling ridiculously relieved that Noct and Gladio had granted him the privacy to let this all out. For something he had been holding back for so long, it had burst forth with remarkably less bite than he had thought. His thoughts drifted back to a couple of days ago, guttering out thick, gasping breaths into Ignis’s warm touch, falling apart only to be delicately moulded back together by the man’s lilting voice. 

Yeah, come to think of it he had probably exceeded his emotional quota for the month with that. Shaking his head a little, he turned and began to trudge back the way he had come. 

Mulch and dirt crunched beneath his boots, the sound like music to his ears as he weaved around thick stems and fallen leaves like crumpled bank notes. The heady scent filled his nose like a physical presence, dusty air, slowly parting buds and sweet decay. The life and death of the entire world around him, wrapped up in a single breath. He inhaled it all deeply, like a drowning man, like he could hold it all tight to him and never have to let go again.

“Having fun in there?”

Prompto spun on his heel, grin not dimming for a second. Noctis’ giant head was pillowed on his crossed arms, leant upon the carved, stone wall, peering at him through the foliage with obvious amusement. The cool leaves on their curving stems curled up and over, forming a sort of corridor back out to him. 

“It’s amazing here, dude,” he said, unable to stop himself from glancing around, then upwards, sighing softly as the afternoon sun filtered down through the gently swaying leaves, “it’s just like I remember, but, not at all… if that makes sense?”

“Yeah man, I get what you mean,” Noctis murmured, gaze sliding away thoughtfully, Prompto tilted his head back towards him, waiting, and sure enough he was speaking softly again a moment later, “sometimes it reminds me of the gardens in Tenebrae.”

Prompto stilled, hesitating for the briefest moment, before silently turning back, scrabbling back up beside him atop the garden wall. Noctis hadn’t shared too much about his childhood with him, at least not yet, but he had told him briefly of his visit to a land called Tenebrae. From what he understood, it was an incredibly beautiful place, overflowing with flowers and gleaming, intricate architecture, and Noct seemed to have mostly fond memories of it and the people he met there. But, there was something else beneath it, something in the sad, almost  _ haunted _ look that came into his eyes when he had talked about it. Something he couldn’t name, and definitely didn’t think he should try and pry into. 

But that was ok, if he had learned anything over the past week it was that most of the time just being with someone was enough. Quietly, he took a seat on the cool stone, leaning leisurely back on his hands and stretching his legs out. If Noctis wanted to share it with him, he would definitely be there to listen, but it was up to him in the end, and for now...

He tilted his head back, closing his eyes and letting the conversation fall to the sounds of the world all around them, comfortable and common. The wind rustled through the leaves overhead. The waterfalls tinkled somewhere in the distance. A bird sang a burst of song from a tree he couldn’t see. Prompto felt a soft breath slip past his lips.

“I can’t believe I’m here right now.”

Noctis blinked, gaze slightly startled when he turned it back to him.

“What? Why?”

“Dude, come on, look at us,” he replied, no real bite to his words despite the disbelief he felt, “we’re not exactly a normal pair of friends.”

“So what?” Noctis said boldly, “it’s not like anyone I befriended was ever going to have a normal-” he lifted a hand to throw a lazy air quotation at the word- “friendship with me anyway.”

Prompto snorted, rolling his eyes. 

“I still think there’s a pretty big difference between ‘friend who’s a prince’ and ‘friend who is literally five inches tall’ that you’re not really acknowledging here.”

“Oh I’m acknowledging it,” Noctis said, a mischievous grin pulling across his lips, “I’m acknowledging it by saying it’s a load of crap and I don’t care.”

Prompto groaned theatrically, shaking his head even as a laugh slipped past his lips.

“I guess I can’t argue that,” he said, “even if I still don’t really get how you can ignore it.”

“It’s not as big a deal as you think it is dude.”

Prompto sighed and flopped fully on to his back, the stone blissfully cool against his heated skin.

“You’re a very strange human, Noct.”

Noctis didn’t  _ quite _ preen at that.

“You’re the only Borrower I’ve ever met, so I can’t tell you if you’re strange or not.”

Prompto laughed again, feeling it almost down in his belly, and wow he truly couldn’t remember the last time he had felt that. Squinting up at him through his lingering giggles, he couldn’t help but smile wider, ducking his head in a small nod as he spoke again.

“I’d definitely say I’m strange, just not as strange as you-” he mellowed, feeling his smile soften- “seriously though, thank you, Noct, for being friends with this tiny loser.”

Noctis seemed to sober a little, still grinning goofily himself, cheeks flushed a faint pink. He shook his head softly, dark hair tinted almost blue at the edges from the shafts of afternoon light beaming through the scattered canopy above.

“Don’t even mention it, Prom, I guess, if you have to, you can just call us even now, for warning me about the bomb and everything.”

He felt that warmth quietly flutter to life within his chest again, like a butterfly stretching its delicate wings against the inside of his ribs. He nodded once, smile never dimming.

“Now that I think about it,” he said softly, “I guess we really are even now, huh?”

Noctis nodded back.

“Even,” he agreed.

Prompto allowed himself to relax. Out in the open, he couldn’t help but repeat to himself. 

Borrowers weren’t supposed to feel safe out in the open. 

Never. 

That got you killed. 

And yet… Noctis was an immense, warm presence beside him, silent save for his deep, slow, constant breaths, the heat of him fending off the worst of the winter chill like a living space heater. It was all just so-

The sharp trill of a phone sliced through the air, making them both jump.

“Shit, sorry,” Noctis muttered after he had pulled the device from his pocket, whatever was on the screen making him grimace, “I’ve gotta take this, are you alright to stay here for a minute? I won’t go far-”

“Noct, I’m fine,” Prompto laughed, gesturing for him to go, “I did survive on my own before you guys came along, y’know?”

Noctis made a face at him, but quickly pushed himself up, tapping at the screen to accept the call as he ambled out of sight.

Still smiling after him, Prompto stretched out luxuriously, groaning as his back popped in several places. Holding it for a few moments longer, he finally allowed himself to slump, feeling all but boneless. His eyes slid closed, listening intently for Noctis to come back.

The waterfalls tinkled on in the distance, leaves and branches and peeling flower buds all but jingling merrily in the breeze. Birds fluttered about in unseen trees, feathers skittering against bark and foliage, their muffled voices alternating between sweet in song to the occasional burst of furious, chittering argument.

The sun was so warm on his skin, the stone at his back still comfortably cool, and it was just so, so nice to be outside again. Whether it was the last remnants of his illness or just the wind-down from his little emotional outburst, he felt himself beginning to doze. He sucked in a deep, slow breath, letting his head loll to the side, fully content to stay exactly where he was until Noct came-

“NOCT!” 

Prompto tensed up so fast he was honestly shocked he didn’t break something. But it didn’t matter, because the next thing he knew something warm and firm wrapped around him and the world twisted on its side. He choked on a scream, scrabbling to grab a hold of anything he could.

And then, all at once, everything slowed down to nothing, and he was left curled and shaking in what he hazily realised was yet another giant hand. You’d think he’d start getting used to it at some point.

“N-Noct?” He tried. Even if he already knew from the roughness of the skin and the distinct scents of leather and salt that it wasn’t. 

“Not quite, kid,” Gladio murmured, even that enough to rumble in his bones like distant thunder. Prompto shivered, and the darkness receded as the hand curled over top of him was pulled away. He blinked through the suddenly too bright glare, flinching away at the sight of those deep, amber eyes staring down at him. Gladio froze, eyes going wide.

“Shit,” he hissed, actually starting to look panicked.

“Gladio?” Prompto whimpered, feeling a trembling in his shoulders, “wh-what-”

“Beat it!” Noctis spat, making him flinch violently again, his head whipping around on instinct just in time to catch him lunging away from them, a black-brown blur tearing away across the grass. 

“It was coming up on you,” Gladio said slowly. Prompto glanced back up at him, blinking in bewilderment. He didn’t understand, what- He turned his head shakily back to Noct, gaze immediately following where he was glowering to the black-brown thing bristling at the edge of the bushes, on the opposite side of the towering behemoth fountain, safe from the fury of the Prince.

He felt his lunch turn to ice in his gut. A cat, shiny fur all on end and yellow eyes wild with adrenaline. Its bushy tail lashed, a pink tongue appearing to lap across its teeth, ears flicking all around as it seemed to size the two humans up a moment more. Apparently it finally deemed them too much effort, disappearing like a shadow into the depths of the bushes. 

‘ _ It was coming up on you _ ’.

Prompto shuddered. 

“Are you alright?” Gladio hesitated, seemingly unsure if he should try to put him down or not, if the way the hand cradling him fumbled in the air was anything to go off of, “uh, I didn’t hurt you did I?”

“G-Gladio?” Prompto stammered again, wincing at how tiny his voice was, even to him, “you- I-”

His eyes fell under the intensity of the human’s gaze, smouldering with concern, dropping to the large hand that wasn’t holding him, still hovering nearby. And the angry red lines drawn across his lower arm, a few sluggishly leaking ruby red droplets.

“You’re bleeding!”

Gladio glanced down, fingers flexing so his broad knuckles moved beneath his skin. “It’s nothin’,” he said, “are  _ you _ alright?”

“Y-yeah- you-” he swallowed thickly, straining to get his brain back up to speed- “you saved me.”

Gladio blinked sharply. “Well geez kid, I wouldn’t go that far-”

“No, he’s right,” Noctis broke in, almost breathless, when Prompto glanced over his shoulder he almost jumped at how close he was, practically pressed against Gladio’s side, frantically looking him over, “I had no idea it was even there, if you hadn’t seen it...”

“Exactly Noct,” Gladio said, voice dropping even more than usual, “you need to be more aware of things, practically anything around here could just walk off with him, the hell do you think would’ve happened if I hadn’t spotted that cat?”

Noctis paled, even more than he already was, skin closer to the colour of the cold stone he had just been sat upon mere moments ago.

“It wasn’t his fault,” Prompto said, but his voice still sounded frail and tremulous, even to his own ears. Gladio tilted his great head down at him, huge fingers twitching a fraction more around him, an unwavering wall not built this time to keep him in, but to keep everything dangerous out. His eyes were less fiery than he remembered. Maybe, he faintly realised, they never had been. They were soft now, like warm honey.

“I know,” he said, voice surprisingly gentle, “but he still shouldn’t have left you alone out there in the open, at least not without letting me know first-”

His eyes fell, a frown deepening the creases at the corners of his mouth.

“-that was way too close.”

There was a long beat of silence between them, even the constant flow of the water seemingly growing muted under the weight of it. Finally, Noctis shifted in the corner of his eye, just a small movement, yet it positively dripped with shame.

“I’m sorry, Prom,” he murmured, “he’s right, I shouldn’t have left you like that, no matter how quick I thought I would be, it was stupid.”

“I agreed to it,” Prompto pointed out, voice steadier as his heart rate slowed back to a more regular pace, “it wasn’t just you, we were both stupid-”

He paused, swallowing bitterly.

“-I got too comfortable again…”

Noctis winced, expression going almost pained.

“Prom, no you-”

“You shouldn’t feel guilty for that, kid,” Gladio rumbled, drawing him almost unnoticeably closer to himself, “even you’ve gotta relax sometimes, and besides, we never even thought to warn you that there’s often cats around the Citadel.”

“I didn’t even think about it,” Noctis mumbled, “I should have, I’m the one who usually sneaks them food, I should have expected there’d be some around if they heard me.”

Gladio made a short huffing noise of agreement.

“Should’ve guessed, you’ve always had a talent for attracting cats.”

“You’re telling me this now?!” Prompto squeaked.

Gladio laughed, a deep, thundering crack from the very pit of his chest, and just like that the tension was broken like a twig beneath a boot. Noctis choked out a snort, unable to hold back a full snicker barely a moment later. Prompto sighed, stifling a tiny giggle of his own. The situation was pretty ridiculous when he thought about it, and now that the shock was wearing off, he couldn’t deny that he felt…

_ Safe _ .

When had that happened? An hour ago he would have been trembling like a mouse in a hawk’s claws if he had found himself at Gladio’s mercy like this, but he supposed having your life saved would change anyone’s perspective.

“Sorry dude,” Noctis said, a fingertip tapping ever so gently at his back, “I didn’t think it’d be important, didn’t even think about it at all to be honest.”

“Well, think about it next time,” Gladio rumbled.

“Yeah, I will.”

Prompto tilted his head towards Noctis, smiling up at him.

“I really don’t blame you, Noct,” he repeated softly, “I’m not upset or anything.”

“Are you sure?” Noctis said, expression still pinched around the corners, “I wouldn’t blame you if you were…”

“Well, I’m not,” Prompto said, smile turning into a lopsided grin, “I’m still alive aren’t I? Gladio was really amazing.”

He pretended not to notice how Gladio seemed to puff up a bit at that. Noctis snorted, a small smile twitching his own lips up.

“Alright, I guess just this once you can stroke his ego,” he grumbled, no real bite to his words. Gladio huffed.

“I always deserve to have my ego stroked, I’m fucking awesome-” Noctis gave a long-suffering groan- “so… I dunno if you wanted to get out of here after that? Wouldn’t exactly blame you if you wanted to.”

Prompto stilled, brain still trying desperately to sort through everything that had just happened in such a short span of time, not even sure himself if he wanted to stay here or not. Typical Borrower protocol would say absolutely not, there was no damn way he should stay somewhere where he had just spotted, and been spotted by, a cat. That was just sheer stupidity. It was inviting death.

And yet, he did want to stay and explore some more, hell, he could probably stay here forever and never grow tired of it, but after that…

“You wanna stay longer, Prom? Or-?”

He had probably tested his luck enough for one day.

“Uh, if it’s all the same with you guys,” he stammered, scratching bashfully through the fluffy hair at the base of his neck, “I’d kinda like to head back, I uh- I wasn’t expecting that.”

“None of us were,” Gladio agreed, before a confident smile spread across his face, “but we’ll be more careful next time.”

“There- there’s a next time?” Prompto said faintly, stomach flipping at the thought of seeing this all again, being able to wander outside again.

Gladio shared an indecipherable look with Noctis.

“Why wouldn’t there be? Though, I get it if that cat kinda put you off, we don’t have to come back if you don’t want to-”

“I do!” Prompto blurted, planting both hands on the heel of Gladio’s palm and jolting up at him in his haste. He froze, slumping back to sit on his knees, the back of his neck heating under his friend’s shared expressions of surprise.

“I mean, if- if it’s not too much trouble that is?”

“Of course it’s not any trouble Prom,” Noctis insisted, a hand raising to give his shoulder an ever so gentle nudge, “it was nice out here, least until that scare, you gotta stop worrying about stuff like that.”

“Yeah, I don’t know if I’ll be able to do that for a while yet,” Prompto mumbled.

Noctis shrugged, not bothered in the slightest. 

“You’ll get there.”

Prompto blinked up at him, a small bloom of warmth opening in chest. The enormous hands cradling him lifted a fraction, the deep rumble in Gladio’s chest preceding the words that came barely a moment later.

“Well, no use hangin’ round here like a bad smell then,” he said, sounding oddly… content, “why don’t we wander back through the rest of the gardens? If we take our time we should make it back around the time Iggy finishes up, then we can all order dinner together.”

“That sounds great,” Prompto replied, Noctis humming an eager affirmative beside him. Prompto could feel himself smiling, warmth still coursing through him, but, when he glanced back up, Gladio’s expression was clouded with hesitance. His pupils danced about in almost imperceptible, darting movements, straining to come to some kind of decision.

Prompto felt his smile twitch just a little higher, and made it for him.

As nonchalantly as possible, he settled himself more comfortably in his palm, scooting around and crossing his legs, letting the last of the tension in his shoulders drain from him. He smiled up at him, making sure to meet his gaze, ridiculously proud of himself when he didn’t feel the usual immense need to look away.

“Ready when you are.”

Gladio blinked down at him, lips parting in momentary shock, before a small smile curled up the corners of his lips, one thick eyebrow raising, almost… impressed. Those immense fingers curled just a fraction closer, not stifling, only promising, the warmth of them seeping softly through the fabric of his clothes. He had a feeling Noctis must have shot him a meaningful look behind his back or something, but he was loudly speaking again before he could say anything on it.

“Let’s go out this way, past the fish ponds, have you ever seen koi fish before, Prom? I’m not allowed to fish for these ones, but I still used to try behind the maids’ backs when I was a kid-”

Prompto couldn’t help but snicker, listening to Noctis spin stories of his childhood mischief, alongside Gladio’s grudgingly fond mutterings in response to them, feeling so oddly at ease in the hands of someone he had only ever thought he would hold fear for. Don’t get him wrong, he still couldn’t help but twitch or wince every now and then, at frustratingly small things. The errant twitch of a finger, the rumble of that thunderous voice going just a touch deeper, the thud of a giant foot hitting the ground with all of that enormous weight behind it. It was still kind of terrifying, on an instinctual level, and yet, he could feel his heart drumming a steady beat inside of him. Slow and content.

It was a wonderful feeling to have. 

“Hey… we probably shouldn’t tell Iggy about what happened, huh?”

“You know he’ll find out somehow and then we’ll be in even more shit.”

“So we’re telling him then?”

“Hell fucking no.”

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


The arrests were made not even three days later. 

It was strange, how anticlimactic it all was in the end. At least from Prompto’s small perspective.

He supposed he wasn’t the best equipped to really understand everything that was going on, truthfully speaking, but from what Ignis did explain (looking far less tense than he had since everything had started) a total of fourteen people had been taken in by the Kingsglaive and, though interrogations were still ongoing, there was an underlying confidence that they had pulled the perpetrators out by the roots. 

He had smiled and celebrated it along with the rest of them and ignored the little voice that tried to sow seeds of doubt in the back of his mind...

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


Noct’s room warms so nicely in the afternoon. The floors and walls draped in gold, dust motes flickering in the air like live embers.

“Prom?”

“Mm?” He’s half-asleep again, can feel the waves of it lapping lazily at the edges of his mind. Noctis doesn’t say anything immediately, and he finds himself distracted staring at a loop of thread in the fabric of the human’s sweater, the coil glowing white in the glare from the windows.

“Have you… have you thought about what you wanna do when we get back to the apartment?”

Prompto stilled where he had absentmindedly begun to reach for it.  _ What he would do when he got back to the apartment… _

The answer had been obvious barely a week ago.

“I don’t want you to have to leave because of us,” Noctis murmured, fingers fiddling with the hem of his sweater, “but at the same time, I don’t want you to feel like we’re forcing you into anything, if you still want to go, then that’s fine and we all respect that, we’ll help you if we can too, if you want, but- if you wanted- um-”

“Noct?” He said faintly, heart clamoring in his chest.

“If- if you wanted to stay, with us- uh- with me, at the apartment, I’m pretty sure we could work it out-” he scratched at his neck awkwardly, cheeks and neck flushed a soft pink and his eyes turned away, “we’d be like, roommates? I guess, unless you wanted to stay in the walls, not that you’d have to! I mean, we could probably make you a space out in the apartment if you- ugh, gods I’m really screwing this up, aren’t I?”

Prompto blinked rapidly, brain still trying to comprehend everything he had just heard, and then- He burst into snickers, falling completely into slightly hysterical giggles barely a moment later. 

“No,” he said, waving away Noctis’s concerned look, “it’s sweet, really, I- I really appreciate that, Noct, it’s just-”

“Prom?”

“I trust you Noct, really I do, I’ve never met a human like you before, never even imagined humans could be like you, or Iggy, or even Gladio, and I’m not gonna lie, a really big part of me wants to say yes-”

“But?” Noctis pushed, the word barely a breath. Prompto heaved a slightly shuddery breath.

“It’s just- it goes against everything I was ever taught,” Prompto mumbled, eyes darting away at the familiar tingle of shame at the back of his neck, “feels almost like a betrayal, y’know?”

“To who?”

Prompto hesitated, only for a moment, but it still hung heavy between them like a heavy, rolling fog. He knew he could trust Noct.  _ He knew it _ . He took a deep breath.

“My parents…” he worried his lip, “I guess- I never knew what got them in the end… I suppose it might not have even been-”

His voice broke. It wasn’t loud, wasn’t even really notable, rather it was the sad, whimpering drop into silence indicative of all pathetic things.

He could feel his hands trembling against the plush knit of Noct’s sweater, curling them into fists in the vain hope he wouldn’t notice. He wasn’t even sure why. It wasn’t like he was a stranger to being vulnerable around Noctis at this point, and yet, he still felt shame roiling deep inside him at the thought of having a breakdown in front of him. The last of his Borrower instincts trying to tell him how bad of an idea it was to be so open in front of a human, he supposed. He jerked, realising there was a familiar, liquid heat pooling at the corners of his eyes, the salty sting a taunting promise.

Stop.  _ Stop _ . Not in front of Noct, not in front of-

An immense warmth wrapped around him, ever so gentle,  _ always so gentle _ . It still felt so surreal, feeling the colossal strength of just his friend’s hand being so delicate with him. Yet, no matter how hard Noctis might’ve tried, he could always feel the sheer, muscular might of him in every touch, even the faintest brush was enough to shift his entire body. 

There was never a moment that he wasn’t completely aware of Noctis’s power.

And yet...

As those warm digits curled around his back, heavy in the way inherent of humans, of course, but so, so diligent, every tiny movement tightly controlled and carefully monitored. Even his slightest movement was enough to have him quickly shifting to compensate, that hand that could crush him on a whim rolling away so he was never stifled. Perhaps he would never be fully at ease in the face of that pure strength, but in that same way that he would always be intimately conscious of it-

There was never a moment that Noctis wasn’t completely aware of his fragility.

So Prompto felt no hesitation whatsoever as he leant back into his friend’s touch, almost immediately feeling the tension drain from his shoulders. Noctis hummed softly, so small it might have been unnoticeable if he hadn’t been literally sitting on him, before his hand began to shift, taking him with it. Relaxing completely, he let him do as he pleased, feeling himself hefted upwards, delicate fingertips pushing and prodding him, giving him support as that immense chest lifted from the couch cushions, held up by a titanic arm. He rose until the soft knit of his friend’s sweater gave way to smooth skin, heat radiating unimpeded from all sides, burrowing down to his bones, it felt like. The fingers cradling him curved, pressing him gently yet firmly against-

“Uh, dude,” Prompto said hesitantly, patting at his enormous neck in confusion, “what are you doing?”

“Trying to give you a hug, dumbass,” Noctis grumbled, the way the words rumbled through his entire body this close doing nothing to mask the slight roughness to his voice.

“Oh,” Prompto said, the sound all but punched out of him.

Noctis hummed, the depth and rumble of it shaking him to the very core of his chest. Or maybe that was just his trembling breaths.

“I- I don’t remember the last time I got a hug,” he hiccuped.  _ When had he started crying _ ?

Noctis pressed him a little tighter. Prompto sniffled, pressing his forehead hard into the firm flank of his neck. He had no idea how long they stayed that way. It probably wasn’t as long as he thought, but time had spun itself into a slow, spiralling flow, like molasses drizzling from a bottle. There was nothing but the warmth of his friend’s embrace all around him and the fading tingle of salt on his cheeks.

“You don’t have to decide anything right away-” every word settled in his bones, resonated in his flesh- “even if you don’t want to room with me, you’re welcome to stay as long as you want until you work things out.”

Prompto smiled, still a little shaky.

“Thanks Noct, you’re the best.”

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


Riding around on a human’s shoulder was something he had never really thought of before, but ever since Noctis had suggested it a couple of days ago, he had quickly decided that it was the only way to travel. 

It was kind of perfect really. After all, with him perched on a shoulder, it freed up whoever was carrying him’s hands, put him not only around eye level with his friends, but also gave him the overall vantage of a human, given he wasn’t being stashed in a pocket or a schoolbag. 

Conversations were honestly so much nicer when he wasn’t constantly having to crane his head upwards. Even if being at that height was still a little damn terrifying. 

“I dunno dude,” Prompto said, slumping down even further into Noct’s collar, nestled quite cozily between his hoodie and the plush sweater beneath it, “I hope we can too, but I’m pretty sure it’s up to Iggy.”

An unexpected cold snap had snatched the last few days in a death grip and, while it was mostly warm in the depths of the Citadel, Prompto still couldn’t help feeling it a bit more than he liked to let on. Probably something to do with his size, and normally he would put on more layers to combat it, but since he was kind of limited in the wardrobe department right now, it definitely paid to have such large, ridiculously warm friends. 

“Last time I checked I was the damn Prince,” Noctis grumbled, no real venom in his tone, “how the hell did I get kicked out of my own house?”

“Because someone put a bomb in it, Charmless,” Gladio said loudly, the bedroom door banging lightly as he barged on in, a large tray of what looked to be scones, cream and jam in one hand and a pitcher of deep bronze juice in the other. Probably apple, given he had tried it for the first time the other day and quickly come to the conclusion that it was one of the best things in the world. Ignis swept in at his heels, thick stack of documents balanced on his arm, a hand rising to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose, smoothly closing the door behind them with his foot.

“How was the meeting?” Prompto called. Conversations were definitely getting easier, though he still found himself tongue-tied more often than he would have liked. Especially when all focus was on him.

Ignis blinked, gaze flicking about for a moment before finally settling on him. An amused smile tugged at his lips.

“My, I didn’t notice you there.”

Prompto felt his cheeks warm a little, Gladio’s rumbling chuckle not helping it in the least.

“It’s warm here,” he blurted, “plus it’s easy to hide if someone comes in.”

“You didn’t hide when we came in,” Gladio pointed out, leaning down to carefully set his cargo on the coffee table.

“I knew it was you,” Prompto mumbled, which was kind of true. He had felt the faint vibrations of their footsteps and the unintelligible rumbling of their voices a mere moment before the door had swung open. He found himself so used to the specific beat and weight of them now that he had placed them almost instantly. He hadn’t even flinched instinctively this time. He was kind of proud about that.

“That whole super sense thing is so damn cool,” Gladio muttered, flopping down on the opposite couch now that his hands were freed up. 

“It’s not a super sense,” Prompto squeaked, the heat in his skin intensifying.

“Sure it’s not,” he said, flapping a hand nonchalantly, “it’s definitely not something to be embarrassed about, kid, you should be proud of your natural talents.”

Prompto frowned.  _ Natural talents? _ He had never really thought he had them honestly, but it was certainly nice to hear. Any deeper musings he might have had were cut off by his perch suddenly lurching upwards.

“So-” Noctis sucked in a sharp breath, a hand shooting up to steady him- “crap, sorry Prom, you alright?”

“Y-yeah,” Prompto said, willing his hands to release their death grip on the fabric beneath him.

“Highness,” Ignis said, a subtle hardness in his voice, “please be more aware when Prompto is near you.”

“I’m fine,” Prompto stammered, hauling himself up to be properly seated again. Noctis’ hand hovered uncertainly beneath him until he was completely settled.

“Sorry,” Noctis said again. Prompto reached out to pat his neck.

“It’s fine, no harm done.”

Ignis hummed, apparently satisfied with that. His attention returned to him, eyes instantly softening behind his glasses.

“To answer your previous question however, Prompto, it went quite well.”

Prompto had to stifle a bit of a laugh at that, knowing exactly what the man was up to. Noctis apparently wasn’t so amused.

“Come on Specs,” he groaned, “don’t keep us hanging.”

Ignis smiled, just a hint smugly, delicately adjusting his glasses.

“Keep you hanging? On the meeting that you were supposed to attend?”

“Iggy,” Noctis whined. 

Prompto really did laugh at how drawn out that ‘e’ sound was. Ignis puffed out a sigh, gracefully moving to slide his pile of documents beside the food and drink and settle into the empty armchair. Noctis was tense beneath him, a rumbling thrum of annoyance vibrating through his muscles. Ignis regarded him for a long moment, before a gentle smile twitched the corner of his lips up.

“The meeting went very well, both Cor and Monica are confident that most if not all of the insurrectionists have been apprehended, thought both believe that there should be continued investigation following interrogations and materials seized at the arrest sights. Overall, however, the outlook is positive, the Kingsglaive, Crownsguard, and his Majesty himself, are all quite confident that the threat has been all but neutralized.”

Noctis seemed to buoy beneath him, shoulders rising.

“So?” Noctis pressed, leaning forward in his eagerness, and so him by extension.

Ignis hummed.

“...The chances of you being able to return to your apartment are decent-”

Noctis whooped and Prompto couldn’t help but laugh, a little at his friend’s excitement and a little in relief. 

“When can we leave?” Noctis asked immediately, leaning forward to snatch up a scone, the movement much smoother this time, giving him plenty of time to adjust so he didn’t topple right off. After smearing a generous amount of jam and cream on top, he leaned back, tearing a chunk off as he went and wasting no time handing it to him. Prompto quietly thanked him, taking it happily. 

“Not right away, Noct,” Ignis said, beginning to fill empty glasses on the tray with juice, including the little brass thimble he had gifted him a couple of days ago as a makeshift cup, “but soon, please be patient, there are still investigations being filed and decisions being made, there will also be a lot of new restrictions and protocol once you do return.”

Prompto had no idea if all that protocol would apply to him as well, but it didn’t matter. It didn’t. 

They were finally going home.

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


Riding in a car was just as surreal the second time as the first, although, at least this time he wasn’t crammed inside some musty schoolbag. In fact, almost as soon as he felt the titanic machine rumble to life around him, the bizarre gliding feeling of it moving away from the place he had been not-so-secretly lodging in for almost a month now, there were large fingers probing for him in his pocket hideout.

“You wanna look out the window this time?” Noctis’ asked.

Stupid question.

**Author's Note:**

> See you in another year:^)   
> https://twitter.com/DoveFanworks  
> https://dovefanworks.tumblr.com/


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